Example Achievement Log for a Registered Nurse

A year in the life of a Registered Nurse's log

• Feb - achievement: Identified that post-op day 1 DVT protocol wasn't being documented in three patients' charts. Created a checklist template in Cerner, printed copies for the unit. All post-op admissions now have documented compression assessment within 2 hours of arrival.
• Feb - feedback: Dr. Patel said in the hallway, 'That DVT catch was smart. I'm going to use your template in my discharge summaries.' Made me realise I could flag process gaps without waiting for committees.
• Apr - task: Admitted Mr. Kowalski, 89, with sepsis, dementia, and no family contact. Spent 90 minutes on the phone tracing his daughter through the county records office. Stayed past end-of-shift to brief her on his code status. She was able to visit before he deteriorated further.
• Jun - task: June staffing dropped to 6 RNs for 32 beds due to two resignations and a PRN no-call. Worked three double shifts in a row to keep the unit safe. Burned out by end of it, but patient ratios never exceeded 1:6 on any shift.
• Jul - achievement: Refreshed my IV insertion skills through the annual competency module and practicum. Placed 47 peripheral lines in July and August with no infiltrations and only two attempts needed on 6 patients. Was called to help with difficult vein access four times.
• Aug - feedback: Amy Chen, the PRN float RN, asked me to help her with her first post-operative patient teaching. Afterwards she said, 'You made that so clear. I'm keeping your notes.' Didn't expect to do teaching but it stuck.
• Aug - achievement: Coordinated discharge for Ms. Rodriguez, 71, with new colostomy, no fixed address, and congestive heart failure. Linked her with social work, community nursing visits, and a colostomy support group in her zip code. She was confident enough to decline extended stay.
• Sep - task: Handed off to night shift and realised I hadn't documented Mr. Hassan's pain reassessment after I gave him fentanyl at 14:45. Went back to the chart and added it. Note to self: reassessment documentation before handoff, not after.
• Oct - achievement: Noticed that discharge paperwork for patients on warfarin wasn't mentioning INR follow-up timing. Built a one-page insert with local lab phone, typical follow-up windows, and red flags. Started going into all anticoagulation discharge packets in October.
• Nov - task: Picked up an unscheduled shift on Thanksgiving when Nicole called in. Were short 2 RNs. Worked day shift with a charge nurse who was also relief staff. Kept the unit running without diverting admissions, but flagged this pattern to manager afterwards.
• Dec - feedback: James Mitchell, the unit educator, said during my annual competency review, 'Your checklists are now part of the standard admission workflow. That's real practice change.' Wasn't fishing for it, but it landed.

What makes a strong entry

How this becomes your review in November

This year I focused on closing gaps between policy and practice. After identifying that post-op DVT protocols weren't being documented consistently across three patients, I created a checklist template in Cerner that now accompanies all post-op admissions, with compression assessments documented within two hours of arrival. I also built a discharge insert for anticoagulation patients that includes local lab contact details and follow-up timing, which has become part of the standard discharge packet. On the bedside side, I refreshed my IV skills through the annual competency module and practicum, placing 47 successful peripheral lines with no infiltrations. My work coordinating complex discharges, including one for a 71-year-old with new colostomy, no fixed address, and heart failure, showed me how detailed handoff to social work and community resources can build patient confidence and reduce unnecessary length of stay. I also recognised and flagged a pattern of unsafe understaffing in October and November, documenting how two consecutive holidays required unscheduled double shifts and relief staff to work as charge nurse, and raised this with my manager so we can plan more defensibly for next year.

Starting your own log

Don't try to reconstruct a year you have already had. Start from today, one line whenever something happens, and let it build. The Perform Review Achievement Log does this for you and can capture wins straight from Slack, and how to start an achievement log covers the wider playbook.

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