Use Google Docs' AI to Create Competency Assessment Forms

What This Does

Google Docs' built-in AI feature ("Help me write") generates structured competency check-off forms for respiratory therapy skill assessment — including observable behaviors, performance criteria, and pass/fail indicators. This is the fastest way to create accreditation-ready orientation documents that would otherwise take 1–2 hours each.

Before You Start

• You have a Google account and access to Google Docs (docs.google.com)
• You're logged in (any Google account works — no paid subscription needed for basic AI features)
• You know which skill or procedure you need to assess

Steps

1. Find the AI feature

Go to docs.google.com and open a new or existing document. Click where you want to insert the form. Look for the Help me write pencil icon (with a sparkle) that appears in the left margin when you click a new line, or go to Insert → Help me write in the top menu. A blue-outlined text box will appear.

2. Tell it what you need

Type your request directly in the "Help me write" box:

"Create a respiratory therapy competency assessment form for endotracheal suctioning technique. Include: observable behaviors checklist (yes/no), performance criteria for each step, critical safety elements, pass/fail designation, evaluator comments section, and signature fields. Format as a printable checklist."

Click Create or press Enter.

3. Review and use the result

Google Docs generates the form in your document. Next steps:

• Review each observable behavior for clinical accuracy — the AI may generate generic items that need specificity for your unit's protocols
• Add your hospital's header (department name, form number, review date)
• Convert checkbox items to actual interactive checkboxes (Format → Bullets & numbering → Checklist) or leave as text checkboxes for printing
• Add a signature line for evaluator and orientee

Download as PDF for printing: File → Download → PDF document.

Real Example

Scenario: Your department needs to update the annual competency assessment for ventilator circuit change procedure to match your new circuit protocol.

What you type: "Create a competency assessment checklist for ventilator circuit change procedure in an ICU setting. Include steps for: circuit type identification, hand hygiene, circuit assembly, connection to ventilator, leak test, documentation requirements. Include pass/fail criteria, critical safety steps marked separately, evaluator signature field, and date of assessment."

What you get: A 15–20 item checklist with safety-critical steps highlighted, a rating column, and signature fields — ready for your director's review in 15 minutes.

Tips

• Specify the patient population in your prompt (adult, pediatric, neonatal) to get appropriate clinical parameters
• Add "include a section for evaluator comments on areas needing improvement" to make the form more useful for remediation documentation
• For CoARC accreditation requirements, add "format for clinical education documentation" to prompt the AI to include learning objective language

Tool interfaces change — if a button has moved, look for similar AI/magic/smart options in the same menu area.