What Are the Benefits of Performance Evaluations in Health Care?

According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), a performance evaluation system defines the way employees should do their jobs in order to enhance the performance of the organization.

Features

• A performance evaluation is a paper-based or automated process that provides a health-care worker with specific feedback to validate her clinical practice or support role, as well as recommendations to improve her performance.

Functions

• When data from individual performance appraisals are combined for a nursing unit or an entire hospital, they give leaders the big picture of how well the unit or organization is meeting the needs of patients, families and communities.

Benefits

• According to Performance Appraisal, regular performance evaluation meetings between an employee and his supervisor offer a "time out" for in-depth discussion of significant work issues that don't get addressed in the day-to-day operation of the health-care organization.

Considerations

• A well-integrated performance appraisal system, such as the one used at the University of Michigan Health System, uses consistent standards for hiring or transfer, orientation, ongoing performance, professional development and performance improvement.

Significance

• When standards are clear and consistent from day one, employees understand their value to the organization and can independently identify ways to make even more significant contributions.