Importance of Performance Appraisal, Essay Example

Metcalf (2001) from the School of Clinical Science in addressing an issue on importance of performance appraisal and staff development: a graduating nurse’s perspective advance that limitations in performance appraisal and staff development usually occur when management and staff do not correlate on concepts/ principles pertaining to the performance appraisal mechanisms. Consequently, it becomes necessary for staff input when designing performance appraisal criteria (Metcalf, 2001).

As such, the most important criteria in my opinion as a nursing leader to be prioritized in my performance appraisals first is the extent to which quality of individual staff performance aligns with organizational goals. Also, staff ability to transpose evidence based practice effective into clinical settings for better patient outcomes. Thirdly, how an individual staff member functions in team performance in achieving patient outcomes (Bensing, 2011).

In evaluating my current employers’ performance appraisals strategies it can be considered an administrative based technique whereby staff has no or very little contribution towards the manner the which they are appraised. Staff is called into the administrative office at the end of a period established by the head nurse and administrative team to discuss a complete appraisal. For the first time a nurse would hear what is expected of them by the organization beside the tasks written in their list of duties or for which licensure endorses.

There is a level of peer feedback when the evaluations are discussed among peers after tendered by a supervisor. In my understanding when a peer review performance appraisal evaluation systems is adapted by a health care organization it is an ongoing process whereby‘practicing registered nurses systematically assess, monitor and make judgments about the quality of nursing care as measured against professional standards of practice ‘(Spence & Wood, 2007). This is not how it is conducted in my organization. As a team we build some measure of solidarity.

Consequently, issues that affect us are discussed and strategies devised regarding how a supervisor could be approached to have them resolved. It is within these confines that nurses express their peer review opinions regarding performance appraisal strategies within my organization. Often our views are merely listened to and documented, but that is how far it goes. The next year comes around and the same strategies are applied. This misery-go-round continues in the organization from year to year (Goode et.al, 2003).

Edward Jennings and Jeremy Hall (2006) of the University of Kentucky and Alabama respectively have advanced some evidence based performance appraisal practices applicable to nursing/ healthcare organizations. First they contend that performance measurement and performance management are interrelated concepts. In my understanding this means that supervisors ought to manage the performance of staff beforesubjectively appraising them. Actually, if this link is missing they are appraising themselves instead of staff(Jennings & Hall, 2006).

Precisely, the analysts specifically delivered evidence showing that managing for results was a more object approach towards performance appraisal which could be applied across disciplines. They cited that this attitude reflects a fundamental management culture evolution change since it is fact based; accountable, open and results oriented (Jennings & Hall, 2006).

References

Bensing, K. (2011).Nurse Performance Appraisals What purposes do they serve? Advance Health Care Network

Goode, J. Ibarra, V. Blegen, M. Anderson-Bruner, J.Boshart-Yoder,T., & Cram, E. (2003). What kind of recognition do staff nurses want?.American Journal of Nursing.93:64–68

Jennings , E., & Hall, J. (2006). Performance Management and Evidence Based Practice: Similarities and Differences.Martin School of Public Policy and Administration/Department of Government

Metcalf (2001).The importance of performance appraisal and staff development: a graduating Nurse’s perspective.Int J Nurs Pract. 7(1), 54-6.

Spence, D., & Wood, E. (2007)Registered Nurse Participation in Performance Appraisal Interviews.Journal of Professional Nursing, 23(1), 55-59