Nurse practitioner peer review: process and evaluation.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the initiation and evaluation of a nurse practitioner (NP) peer review program for a group of 15 NPs practicing at a Veteran's Affairs Medical Center.


METHODS
Using a standardized review form, 15 NPs performed a peer review on a total of 163 medical records; each review was re-reviewed by 2 researchers who were also NPs. To determine the congruency of the reviews among the 15 NPs, the data were analyzed with Intraclass correlations (ICC) and ANOVA.


CONCLUSIONS
A relatively low ICC (r = 0.37) was found for the 15 NPs. The ANOVA indicated that there were significant differences among the NPs (F = 11.92, p < .0001).


CONCLUSIONS
The outcome of a peer review process depends upon the motivation and values of the NPs, practice sites, and standardization of the format, as well as the degree of collective participation. Peer review can reveal charting deficiencies as well as identify topics for continuing education and risk management programs.
Sheahan
S L
SL
University of Kentucky College of Nursing, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
Simpson
C
C
Rayens
M K
MK
D000328:Adult; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D009722:Nurse Practitioners / Q000592:standards*; D009731:Nursing Audit; D010380:Peer Review; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D000078329:Workforce