Tips for Proctors: Things They Should and Shouldn't Do

Guidelines to help objectively assess a practitioner's clinical competence.

This article was first published June 14, 2021, by HCPro's Credentialing Resource Center, a sibling publication to HealthLeaders.

Most hospitals and their medical staffs do little or nothing to prepare a staff member to proctor. This week’s quick tip is a list of things proctors should and shouldn’t do. 

Do:

• Inform the relevant medical staff leader who assigned you the proctor role if you realize you have a conflict of interest.
• Introduce yourself to all parties who will observe you in your proctoring role and explain the collegial nature of the undertaking and its role in improving the quality of care.
• Try to be reasonably inconspicuous as the circumstances allow.
• Review information in the medical record where necessary to appreciate the care being delivered or the way in which that care is being documented in the chart.
• Complete all required proctor reporting forms.
• Maintain appropriate confidentiality regarding both your observations and any opinions you reach as a proctor. Treat proctoring as a protected peer review activity.

Do Not:

• Interject gratuitous advice or other comments—the role of the proctor is to be an observer.
• Engage in other tasks while proctoring, such as texting or scanning the Internet on a mobile device. Such activities can be distracting to caregivers and patients.
• Criticize in front of staff or patients the practitioner being proctored. Constructive com­ments can be shared at a later time.
• Breach expected and required confidentiality.

Source: Proctoring: Assess Practitioner Competence