Unit Educator New Hire 90-Day Competency Sign-Off

This form is typically completed by the unit educator and the primary preceptor, with input from the new hire's direct supervisor if needed. It is meant to capture a shared assessment of observed performance, not a self-evaluation. If your workflow requires a manager approval step, add it as an optional sign-off field rather than replacing the joint review.

Use it at the end of the formal onboarding or orientation period, usually around day 90, when the new hire has had enough supervised exposure for a meaningful competency review. It is not a daily checklist or a first-week orientation form. If your unit uses a different probationary timeline, you can adjust the review date and due date fields to match that cadence.

It fits unit-based roles where skills are observed on the job, such as nursing, clinical support, allied health, and other department-specific positions with a defined preceptorship period. The template works best when there are core skills to assess and a clear readiness decision to document. If the role is mostly desk-based and does not use a preceptor model, a simpler performance review form may be a better fit.

Capture the overall competency status, the core skills actually observed, and a short summary of performance against expectations. Keep the field values specific to the unit's standards so the review is actionable. Avoid vague language like "doing well" without naming the skills or behaviors that support that conclusion.

List only the gaps that matter for safe, independent practice or role readiness, then pair each one with a concrete follow-up action and due date. This creates a usable action plan instead of an open-ended note. If no gaps remain, state that clearly and leave the follow-up section empty or mark it as not applicable according to your workflow.

If the form includes personal data, keep collection limited to what is needed for the competency review and avoid unnecessary PII. For workplace accessibility, make sure the form is readable and usable under WCAG 2.1 AA principles, and use clear labels and validation for each field. If your organization treats this record as part of the personnel file, route it through your normal retention and audit trail process.

The biggest mistakes are writing generic comments, skipping the follow-up due date, and treating the sign-off as a formality instead of a decision record. Another common issue is marking every field required even when some items are not applicable, which makes the form harder to complete accurately. The template should support conditional logic so only relevant follow-up fields appear when a gap is identified.

Yes. The core structure stays the same, but the competency list, wording for readiness, and follow-up actions should reflect the unit's actual workflow and standards. You can also add conditional fields for role-specific skills, manager review, or remediation plans without changing the basic sign-off flow.