Evaluation skills provide the necessary competencies to make decisions on the quality of work and assess if it meets the required standards. One of the primary goals of evaluative techniques is informed judgment (Tai et al. 2018). In my future career, I intend to use these skills in self-assessment. For example, I can check if my performance is improving by keeping a journal. Moreover, I will use the techniques in evidence-based practices on a small scale to determine if the improvements are worth being implemented on a large scale. Another area of application in the healthcare field will be on patients during history taking and case conceptualization to determine the exact diagnosis from differential conditions.
One of the medical TV series which I enjoy watching is The Good Doctor. The main character is Dr. Shaun Murphy, a young surgeon with admirable precision who is gifted in medical operations. However, Murphy is autistic and has savant syndrome, making it difficult to empathize and connect with patients. In episode 17 of the second season, Dr. Murphy is asked by the chief surgeon (Dr. Han) to go work in the laboratory (against his will). The doctors have to attend to Kenny, who has an overgrown tumor weighing 100 pounds. They consult Dr. Shaun, he quickly makes assessments and advice that operation is possible by controlling the blood flow (Shore et al., 2017). His evaluative skills prove to be lifesaving as it enables successful surgery of Kenny.
The criteria which I can use to assess this episode will include measuring hygiene in the surgical unit, the medical providers’ competencies, and health records on a scale of 1 to 10. The evaluation tool is observation; from my judgment, the act deserves to receive 10, 8, and 9 points, respectively. The theatre was sparkling clean, the surgical team had protective wear, and sterilization equipment was present. With regards to competencies, Dr. Murphy is gifted for the
operation but cannot empathize, the rest of the team have perfect communication but made a wrong assessment that Kenny will bleed to death. The documentation of the patient was done well but during the surgery, there was no one taking notes. Improving the work environment requires understanding past mistakes and success and then using the knowledge to make future amends. The implication is that evaluative skills are important in the healthcare sector to improve services through continuous learning and innovation.
References
Shore, D., Gordon, S., Kim, D. D., Listo, M., Lee, S., & Highmore, F. (Executive Producers). (2017-2020). The good doctor [TV series]. ABC Studios.
Tai, J., Ajjawi, R., Boud, D., Dawson, P., & Panadero, E. (2018). Developing evaluative judgement: Enabling students to make decisions about the quality of work. Higher Education, 76(3), 467−481. Web.