Research Paper on Performance Appraisal of Nurses in Hospitals (With Specific Reference to Saurashtra Region)

Performance appraisal is a formal, structure system of measuring and evaluating as an employee’s job related behaviors and outcomes to discover how and why the employee can performed more effectively in the future. The performance is measured against such factors as job knowledge, quality and quantity of output, initiative, leadership abilities, supervision, dependability, co-operation, judgment, versatility and health. In any top-notch organization, not just in healthcare, performance appraisals are essential if the company is going to achieve its mission and ensure a competent staff and safe environment, for its external and internal customers. Additionally today, nurses must be held accountable for fiscal responsibility if the hospital is going to remain solvent. The objective of this paper is to analyses the parameters that should be considered for the performance appraisal of nurses in hospitals and based on the parameters what weigtage should be given to each parameter. INTRODUCTION A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals are usually founded by the public sector, by health organizations for profit or non profit, health insurance companies, or charities, including direct charitable donations. Historically, hospitals were often founded and funded by religious orders or charitable individuals and leaders. Today, hospitals are largely staffed by professional physicians, surgeons, and nurses, whereas in the past, this work was usually performed by the founding religious orders or by volunteers. However, there are various Catholic religious orders, such as the Alexia’s and the Bon Secours Sisters, which still focus on hospital ministry today, as well as several Christian denominations, including the Methodists and Lutherans, which run hospitals. In accord with the original meaning of the word, hospitals were originally “places of hospitality”, and this meaning is still preserved in the names of some institutions such as the Royal Hospital Chelsea, established in 1681 as a retirement and nursing home for veteran soldiers. In hospital in today scenario it is observed that the staffed professionals are very much competitive in nature. Performance of the staff plays very vital role in the development of the hospitals. Staff mainly includes professional physicians, surgeons, and nurses. Performance Appraisal is considered to be very important activity for the individual as well as Organizational growth. Performance appraisal is a process of summarizing assessing and developing work performance an employee. In order to be effective and constructive the performance manager should make every effort to obtain as much objective information about employee’s performance as possible. Performance appraisal is a review and discussion of an employee’s performance of assigned duties responsibilities based on results obtain by the employee in their job, not on the employee’s personality, characteristics. Personality should be consider only when if the related to performance assigned duties and responsibilities. LITERAUTRE REIVEW Editor-in-Chief Roger Watson (2010): The Journal of Advanced Nursing (JAN) contributes to the advancement of evidence-based nursing, midwifery and healthcare by disseminating high quality research and scholarship of contemporary relevance and with potential to advance knowledge for practice, education, management or policy. All JAN papers are required to have a sound scientific, evidential, theoretical or philosophical base and to be critical, questioning and scholarly in approach.  As an international journal, JAN promotes diversity of research and scholarship in terms of culture, paradigm and healthcare context.  For JAN’s worldwide readership, authors are expected to make clear the wider international relevance of their work and to demonstrate sensitivity to cultural considerations and differences. NHS (2006): A key performance process is performance appraisal, which is defined as a “as a positive process to be someone feedback on their performance to chart their continuing process and to identify developmental need it is forward looking process essential for the developmental and educational planning needs of an individual”. Behn (2002): It is now proposed that additional development review and support mechanisms for Victorian senior medical staff, which broadly represent generic management definitions performance management, should also be introduced. However as noted in the general manager literature performance management goes by many names, is defined in a verity of ways and includes an array of concepts. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY 1. To analyze different parameters responsible for performance appraisal system of nurses in Hospital sector. 2. To know whether nurses are aware about factors use in performance appraisal system in Hospital sector. 3. To analyze the importance given to each parameter for the Performance Appraisal. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Researchers have used both primary data and secondary data for this study. Questionnaire was the main research tool used to collect the primary data for the study. This research aims at understanding the parameters responsible for the performance appraisal of the nurses and the importance that should be given to each parameter for the performance Appraisal of nurses from nurses. For this research nurses from the hospitals of Rajkot city were selected.


INTRODUCTION
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals are usually founded by the public sector, by health organizations for profit or non profit, health insurance companies, or charities, including direct charitable donations. Historically, hospitals were often founded and funded by religious orders or charitable individuals and leaders. Today, hospitals are largely staffed by professional physicians, surgeons, and nurses, whereas in the past, this work was usually performed by the founding religious orders or by volunteers. However, there are various Catholic religious orders, such as the Alexia's and the Bon Secours Sisters, which still focus on hospital ministry today, as well as several Christian denominations, including the Methodists and Lutherans, which run hospitals. In accord with the original meaning of the word, hospitals were originally "places of hospitality", and this meaning is still preserved in the names of some institutions such as the Royal Hospital Chelsea, established in 1681 as a retirement and nursing home for veteran soldiers.
In hospital in today scenario it is observed that the staffed professionals are very much competitive in nature. Performance of the staff plays very vital role in the development of the hospitals. Staff mainly includes professional physicians, surgeons, and nurses. Performance Appraisal is considered to be very important activity for the individual as well as Organizational growth.
Performance appraisal is a process of summarizing assessing and developing work performance an employee. In order to be effective and constructive the performance manager should make every effort to obtain as much objective information about employee's performance as possible.
Performance appraisal is a review and discussion of an employee's performance of assigned duties responsibilities based on results obtain by the employee in their job, not on the employee's personality, characteristics. Personality should be consider only when if the related to performance assigned duties and responsibilities.

LITERAUTRE REIVEW Editor-in-Chief Roger Watson (2010):
The Journal of Advanced Nursing (JAN) contributes to the advancement of evidence-based nursing, midwifery and healthcare by disseminating high quality research and scholarship of contemporary relevance and with potential to ad-vance knowledge for practice, education, management or policy.
All JAN papers are required to have a sound scientific, evidential, theoretical or philosophical base and to be critical, questioning and scholarly in approach. As an international journal, JAN promotes diversity of research and scholarship in terms of culture, paradigm and healthcare context. For JAN's worldwide readership, authors are expected to make clear the wider international relevance of their work and to demonstrate sensitivity to cultural considerations and differences.

NHS (2006):
A key performance process is performance appraisal, which is defined as a "as a positive process to be someone feedback on their performance to chart their continuing process and to identify developmental need it is forward looking process essential for the developmental and educational planning needs of an individual".

Behn (2002):
It is now proposed that additional development review and support mechanisms for Victorian senior medical staff, which broadly represent generic management definitions performance management, should also be introduced. However as noted in the general manager literature performance management goes by many names, is defined in a verity of ways and includes an array of concepts.

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
1. To analyze different parameters responsible for performance appraisal system of nurses in Hospital sector. 2. To know whether nurses are aware about factors use in performance appraisal system in Hospital sector. 3. To analyze the importance given to each parameter for the Performance Appraisal.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Researchers have used both primary data and secondary data for this study. Questionnaire was the main research tool used to collect the primary data for the study. This research aims at understanding the parameters responsible for the performance appraisal of the nurses and the importance that should be given to each parameter for the performance Appraisal of nurses from nurses. For this research nurses from the hospitals of Rajkot city were selected.

ReseaRch PaPeR
Hypothesis H o : Nurses are satisfied with the level of importance given to each parameter at the time of performance appraisal.
H 1 : Nurses are not satisfied with the level of importance given to each parameter at the time of performance appraisal.

Sample of the Study
The Sample was taken on the bases of Convinent Random Sampling Method form the population of nursing working in hospitals of the Rajkot city.

Parameters of the Study
The researcher has identified 10 core parameters on the bases of research. Research has collected data from the secondary data sources like literature reviews etc. and primary data sources like questionnare.
On the basis on questionnare the researcher has displayed the analysis of the data collected regarding Opinions of Nurses for Performacne Appraisal, appraiser, percentage of Improvement after Performance Appraisal, Satisfaction Level of Nurses regarding Performance Appraisal Sytem in their Organisation, Awareness among the nurses regarding the parameter of Performace Appraisal,shortlisted the parameters and identified the level on Impotance given to each parameter.
Chart 1 indicates the opinons of nurses regardign performance Appraisal, Chart 2 tells regarding who should be their appraiser, Chart 3 indicates percentage of imporvemnt generellay nurses have seen in their performance about appraisal, Chart 4 explains the level of satisfaction among nurses regarding performnce appraisal system in their organisation , Chart 5 gives details regarding Awarness of parameter among the nurses and Chart 6 displace the level of Importance given to each parameters. Researchers has analyzed that 56% of the nurses are aware about the parameters on which their performance appraisal is been done whereas 15% are fully aware, 21.50 % partially aware and 7.50% are totally unaware of parameters.

ReseaRch PaPeR
Chart The researcher has analyzed that as per the opinion of the Nurses maximum importance should be given Assumptions of responsibilities for patients care at the time of their performance appraisal.

Hypothesis Testing
From the above analysis researchers have concluded that Ho is rejected. So nurses are not satisfied with the level of importance given to each parameter at the time of performance appraisal.

DISCUSSION
Researcher has observed that the Performance Appraisal System in the hospital is generally done for the purpose of promotions. 70% of Nurses in the hospitals feel that there is 20% to 40% improvement in their performance after the Performance Appraisal System. From the research it is clear that only 75% of the nurses are satisfied or highly satisfied with the current performance appraisal systems in their organization whereas 25 % of them are dissatisfied or highly dissatisfied.
Generally it is observed that the Nurses think that there appraisal should be done by the Immediate Supervisor. The Supervisor can clearly understand the parameters that can be considered for the Performance Appraisal and can given adequate importance to each parameter on the basis of requirements at the time of Appraisals.

FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS
From this research the researcher has found ten Parameters that are to be considered on priority at the time of Performance Appraisal of Nurses by the Hospitals. The analysis is clearly stating the level of importance to be given to each parameter.
Research Analysis clearly states that there is a need to go for the improvement in the performance Appraisal system of nurses to get better outcome. Involvement of nurses for their appraisal will make the appraisal systems more effective, easily and meaning because it will help the hospitals to get the expected results in minimum time.
From the research it is clear that the 1 st priority at the time of Performance Appraisal should be given to Assumption of responsibility for patients care and then onwards to Relation with patients, Intellectual honesty, Ability to communicate, Medical knowledge etc. respectively.

LIMITATION OF THE STUDY 1. The research is limited to Nurses working in Saurashtra
Region. 2. Possibility of error in data collection because some nurses had not given actual answers of our question.