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Ask the expert: Support peer review and appraisal

HCPro's Weekly Update on the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program®*, August 14, 2007

This week, a reader asks how to support peer review and appraisal when seeking ANCC Magnet Recognition Program® (MRP) designation. Read the response below from our advisor Katherine Riley, MSN, RN, CNA,BC, MRP coordinator and assistant vice president, operations, at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington, VT.

Q: How does an organization seeking Magnet Recognition Program designation support peer review and appraisal?

A: To support peer appraisal, develop a peer evaluation process for annual employee performance reviews. This peer evaluation could incorporate elements from the organization's existing appraisal tool, or staff could develop a separate peer evaluation tool that focuses on the criteria that staff value most in a peer-to-peer relationship.

Organizations seeking ANCC Magnet Recognition® have also developed incident-based nursing peer review committees. These committees review specific clinical practice issues that are referred to them as a result of an undesired or unexpected patient outcome. The committee decides whether a nurse met appropriate standards of care and makes recommendations for follow-up depending on the decision. Peer review can also take the form of quality improvement activities. As staff reviews nursing practice during quality monitoring, they are evaluating the quality of care delivered by their peers. This type of peer review can lead to the identification of staff learning needs.

Editor's note: Do you have a question for one of our advisors? If you'd like us to consider your query for publication, please send it to Cameran Erny.

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