Challenge Tips

Day 8 - Seek and Give Constructive Feedback

Constructive feedback can be a vital tool for professional development and enhancing patient care. Unlike criticism, constructive feedback acknowledges both strengths and areas for improvement. It focuses on solutions in a respectful and supportive way and removes ambiguity, which in turn reduces stress and anxiety. Supportive feedback also encourages a growth mindset. When nurses feel their skills can improve over time, they have more self-esteem and motivation to continue developing.

Asking for and giving feedback may feel uncomfortable at first. But there’s a payoff: It can enhance your individual performance and build more open communication and mutual respect within your team.

Your Action for Today

Find one opportunity to ask for feedback and one opportunity to give feedback. Employ these key tactics:

Asking for feedback

• Be open and receptive: When receiving feedback, avoid responding defensively. Focus on the opportunity for growth and ask for helpful examples.
• Choose the right person at the right time: You’re more likely to get helpful feedback if you ask during a low-stress moment, and seek out a trusted colleague or supervisor.
• Follow up after applying suggestions: After you receive constructive feedback, express your appreciation and implement the suggested solutions. Then follow up and let your colleague know how the solutions impacted your work.

Giving feedback

• Balance your message: Highlight the other person’s strengths while identifying areas that need improvement.
• Make your feedback specific and clear: Address your teammate’s specific behaviors or actions to avoid misinterpretation.
• Offer helpful solutions: Provide actionable suggestions to help facilitate your colleague’s growth.

For more tips on providing constructive feedback in nursing, check out this American Nurse Journal article on handling difficult conversations.

Day 9 sneak peek: Create a positive impact as a role model for psychological safety within your team.

Missed day 7? Catch up here.