DEVELOPING PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL SYSTEM FOR STAFF NURSES AT SELECTED HOSPITALS IN EL-MINYA GOVERNORATE IN EGYPT

Performance Appraisal helps to improve the organizational health; viability and growth through optimal utilization of the nursing staff in the interest of the organization. The ultimate goal of performance appraisal is to ensure safe, effective patient care. Therefore, performance appraisal is a required process in healthcare organizations to ensure that the quality of care is met. This study was an attempt to develop a performance appraisal system (PAS) for staff nurses. The objectives of this research were: (1) assess the current performance appraisal system for staff nurses at selected (MOH) hospitals in El-Minya governorate; (2) designing a system for appraising performance of staff nurses and (3) validation of the developed performance appraisal system and appraisal form. This study employed a Descriptive, Methodological design. The participants were purposively selected from staff nurses and nurse administrators, actors all of the hospital units in a five main (MOH) hospitals in El-Minya governorate in Egypt 2014. Data were collected using two tools, the first tool “an Effective Characteristics of Performance Appraisal System Questionnaire” to assess the performance appraisal system for staff nurses used currently at selected hospitals, the second tool “an assessment of developing a performance appraisal system for staff nurse questionnaire” to assess the validation of the developed performance appraisal system and the performance appraisal form by the jury group. The numbers of participants were 141 staff nurses and 55 nurse administrators. The study results indicated that the nursing staff in general disagreement with the statements of all dimensions of effective characteristics of performance appraisal system. The findings of this study revealed that the PAS used currently at selected hospital ineffective and needed to develop new PAS for staff nurses at these hospitals. Depending on these findings the investigator developed a performance appraisal system for staff nurses. The developed performance appraisal system is composed of five parts: (1) manual performance appraisal system instructions; (2) performance plan form; (3) performance appraisal form (appraisal period & time, critical elements and standards; summary performance levels; the summary rating); (4) performance improvement plan. (5) Explanation criteria for performance standards. The investigator recommends a proposal for the researchers to adopt the results of this study and applied widely in the field of nursing and various nursing specialties.