THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL SYSTEMS AND NURSING Essay

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL SYSTEMS AND NURSING STAFF PERFORMANCE - Essay Example It is essential for nurse managers to assess the performance of clinical nurses, and to manage them effectively and efficiently as a human resource. There are several techniques of performance assessment in organizations, and in health care contexts such as in nursing (Roussel & Swansburg 2006), including the use of a consistent numerical assessment system by managers or qualitative appraisal approaches (Murphey, 2004). For over three decades, organizations have considered performance appraisal systems as key organizational processes for the management and development of personnel (Giangreco, Carugati, Pilati et al 2010; Levy & Williams 2004; Ferris, Timothy, Basok et al 2008). The aim of performance appraisal systems is to regularly offer a comparison between the level of performance expected by any one organization and the performance achieved by an individual or group of individuals. These comparisons are based on objective and subjective factors (Coates 2004). The basis for perfo rmance evaluation is that measuring performance helps to improve performance by providing concise feedback on how the individual or department is doing in the workplace. The popularity of the use of appraisal systems is however surrounded by a forceful debate on their productivity and the related costs and benefits. ‘It is widely believed that performance appraisals