Peer Review

Peer review implies that the nursing care delivered by a group of nurses or an individual nurse is evaluated by individuals of the same rank or standing according to established standards of practice. Peer review in nursing is the process by which practicing registered nurses systematically assess, monitor and make judgments about the quality of nursing care provided by peers as measured against professional standards of practice (ANA, 1975). The purposes of peer review are: to evaluate the quality and quantity of nursing care as it is delivered by the individual nurse, to determine strengths and weaknesses of nursing care, to provide evidence for use as the basis of recommendations for new or altered policies and procedures to improve nursing care and to identify those areas where practice patterns indicate more knowledge is needed. Individuals, institutions, and the nursing profession all derive benefits from an effective peer review program. With respect to the individual, participation in the peer review process stimulates professional growth.