Have you ever been asked to give feedback to a nurse about her technique, behavior or patient care? Often, this situation can be awkward. Do you know how to make an awkward situation a productive or educational one for the person receiving the feedback?

• Feedback judges individuals, not actions. A frequent mistake people make when giving feedback is putting in a judgmental terms rather than descriptive ones. You say to someone” You need to be a better team player.” That immediately puts the other person on the defensive and the conversation will not progress productively.

• The feedback is vague. Be specific, describe specific behaviors. Don’t just say,”Good job.” Say, “the way you approached Mrs. Jones, held her hand and looked in her eyes was very effective communication.”

• Feedback that speaks for others. “People are telling me, you are not following universal precautions.” Give feedback about behaviors you have observed, for example, “You failed to don gloves before emptying the Foley.”

• Negative developmental feedback is sandwiched between positive statements. Your intentions may be good, but the feedback is not. Well intentioned praise and identifying developmental opportunities are growth potential for the receiver.

• The feedback psychoanalyzes the motives behind behavior. Telling someone you know they are behaving in a particular manner because they are burned out, grieving, or envy another coworker is ineffective and may cause resentment. Don’t assume you understand someone’s intentions or motive.

• The feedback goes on too long. Don’t give advice, describe personal experiences, or try to solve problems. People need time to absorb and process information, to consider what if anything they intend to do.

• The feedback contains a threat. “If you want to be successful in this unit, you must learn to manage your time better.” You must tell the person specifically what the appropriate behavior is and why the observed behavior is not appropriate.

• The feedback uses inappropriate humor. Sarcasm and criticism will not change behavior. Saying” good afternoon” to someone who is 10 minutes late for report is not effective. It may be destructive.

Give these tips a try, and let me know how it goes for you.