“They Care a Lot”: A Qualitative Study of Nurses’ Perspective on the Performance Appraisal Process in Israel

Intro: The performance appraisal (PA) process is carried out in organizations in general and in health organizations in particular due to its expected benefits, such as improving performance regarding patient care quality, documentation, identifying training needs, raising job satisfaction, and employee engagement. This paper explores the nurses’ perspective on the PA process. Design/Methods: As part of course assignments in the Master’s degree program in health systems management, 34 nurses in hospitals in Israel (students in the course) were asked to describe the PA process they underwent in their organization (their written narratives regarding the PA process). Thematic analysis was employed to examine their responses. Results: Four themes were found: characteristics of the feedback session (the PA interview), characteristics of the appraisee, characteristics of the appraiser, and characteristics of the PA process. Conclusion: Beyond elucidating the nurses’ subjective experiences and priorities, the study brought to light several major issues, such as the fact that nurses highly value the PA process and do not consider it a mere formal chore. Also, the nurses emphasized the procedural justice of the process (i.e., they cared that the process has sufficient validity and reliability). Lastly, they crave recognition and acknowledgment. Implications: This research has theoretical and practical implications based on specifying the nurses’ perspectives and priorities and taking them into consideration. The study’s findings can assist healthcare organizations to understand this crucial practice better so that it can achieve its full potential.