The Peer Review Practice in Nursing

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Table of Contents

The Peer Review Practice Used
Possible Improvements
Innovations & Improvement
Regulatory Organizations and Nursing Practice
Reference List

The Peer Review Practice Used

Every healthcare unit has to comply with major requirements concerning patients’ safety and quality of services provided. Peer review is one of the practices that ensures quality as well as the pursuit of self-development. The American Nurses Credentialing Center regards the peer review practice as a way to increase professionalism through the promotion of “self-regulation of the practice” (Haag-Heitman & George, 2011, p. 48). However, peer review practice has to be efficient to achieve the goals set.

Our hospital has quite an ineffective practice that is often seen as a waste of time by many nursing professionals. The performance of four nurses is evaluated each month. The nurses are chosen randomly, and each is given certain scores based on such categories as documentation and communication. Nursing professionals assess records of those under analysis. The way the nurses collaborate with other healthcare professionals is also evaluated.

Notably, the reviews are anonymous. Those who provide their reviews complete brief reports, which are later analyzed by an assigned person. The nurses receive scores (up to 20). The nursing professionals who get the highest scores receive some benefits the following month. Those who receive very low scores have to provide self-evaluation report as well as an improvement plan. However, the practice is inefficient as it often leads to the unhealthy atmosphere. Many nurses claim that assessments are often biased or made improperly as many factors are not taken into account. Furthermore, some professionals are reluctant to improve their performance after the evaluation. They complete the necessary reports and plans but never follow them. The existing peer review practice impairs employees’ motivation as well.

Possible Improvements

Clearly, this model has to be changed significantly. The ANCC provides its vision on the implementation of the Magnet model (Magnet model, 2015). Importantly, the Magnet program is aimed at the ongoing improvements of healthcare practices. Every hospital seeks to obtain the recognition within the program. The model mentioned is based on such concepts as transformational leadership, structural empowerment, exemplary professional practice, innovations & improvement and empirical outcomes (Magnet model, 2015).

Leadership

Leadership is among the required skills for a nursing professional (Hain & Fleck, 2014). Therefore, each nurse should be ready to implement the change as well as articulate the need for change. Haag-Heitmanand and George (2010) stress that the change should not necessarily come from the administration. When it comes to peer review, it can be beneficial to have a change agent or an initiative group that would start the process. It is essential to make the employees understand that peer review is a valuable practice that will improve each nurse’s performance. In the case of our hospital, employees should understand that improved practice will help them complete their tasks in a more professional way.

Structural Empowerment

In terms of the structural empowerment, nurses should be empowered to develop standards and practices (Magnet model, 2015). Therefore, it can be beneficial to encourage nursing professionals to design the concepts to be evaluated as regards performance. Nurses can also develop forms used in the peer review practice. The lack of efficient reporting structure is regarded as one of the most significant challenges in nurses’ development as well as peer review (Bahouth et al., 2011). The forms used at the hospital are quite well-structured, but they should be more comprehensive.

Exemplary Professional Practice

The forms completed should include documentation and communication as well as particular practices. There should be space for noting some positive behaviors. For example, new methods to complete tasks, inefficient strategies used, and so on. At that, Shaffer, Ganger and Glover (2011) note that the practice of scores is inefficient and the change to such categories as ‘does not meet requirements’, ‘meets requirements’ and ‘exceeds requirements’ can be beneficial for the peer review practice. These categories will reveal particular areas of concern for each nurse. There will be no confusion concerning scores. It is also necessary to make sure that all nurses are evaluated every two months. This will ensure the opportunity to trace the progress of every employee. Assessment of every nurse can be achieved through a comprehensive program. Thus, every nursing professional will evaluate those he/she collaborates with. The forms will be brief and, hence, they will not take much time to be completed.

Innovations & Improvement

Importantly, peer review should not be limited to pure assessment. Meetings, discussions, and workshops should be held regularly. Nurses should share their knowledge as well as challenges they face and ways to overcome them. Thus, nursing professionals who exceed the requirements will share their knowledge and skills. Those who perform poorly will be able to acquire the necessary skills to improve their practices. Thus, the peer review practice at our hospital will become comprehensive as nurses will identify the gaps in their knowledge and will be equipped with the necessary skills to address them.

Empirical Outcomes

The final stage of the peer review process at our hospital can be the development of new standards. The new practices and methods introduced by individuals, discussed during meetings and workshops and tried in day-to-day practice can become incorporated into the hospital’s overall procedures.

This comprehensive peer review practice will positively affect the development of our hospital. I know some nurses who can be a part of the team of transformational leaders to make the change happen. I believe nurses’ performance and motivation at our hospital will improve significantly.

Regulatory Organizations and Nursing Practice

It is necessary to note that regulatory organizations such as the American Nurses Credentialing Center or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners set standards and encourage professionals to push the limits. As far as I am concerned, these organizations help me as an advanced practice nurse to self-develop and provide high-quality services. This is achieved in several dimensions. First, the organizations set certain requirements and standards that are developed on the basis of the best nursing practices. These standards incorporate the experience of thousands of practitioners. Of course, the requirements are based on the analysis of the needs of all stakeholders involved including patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, managers, officials and so on. Besides, these organizations enable nursing professionals to remain connected. The knowledge is shared through various activities including participation in conferences, workshops and so on. Publishing articles in peer-reviewed journals, as well as other platforms used by the organizations, is beneficial for nurses’ self-development. These articles create the necessary background for the debate on various important issues. Finally, I feel empowered as I can address the organization that can implement the change in the domain of policies used in the community as well as nationwide.

Reference List

Bahouth, M.N., Ackerman, M., Ellis, E.F., Fuchs, J., McComiskey, C., Steward, E.S., & Thompson-Smith, C. (2012). Centralized resources for nurse practitioners: Common early experiences among leaders of six large health systems. Journal of Nursing Administration, 1-10.

Haag-Heitman, B., & George, V. (2010). Peer review in nursing. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Barlett Learning.

Haag-Heitman, B., & George, V. (2011). Nursing peer review: Principles and practice. American Nurse Today, 6(9), 48-52.

Hain, D., & Fleck, L. (2014). Barriers to nurse practitioner practice that impact healthcare redesign. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 19(2). Web.

Magnet model. (2015). Web.

Shaffer C., Ganger, M., & Glover, C. (2011). Peer review: Staff nurses transform peer review. Journal of Nursing Administration, 41(5), 201-203.

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