EVALUATING INDIVIDUAL-PERFORMANCE IN HIGHER-EDUCATION - A NEW CHALLENGE FOR NURSE EDUCATORS

In response to the demands for more accountability and efficiency in h igher education, of which nurse education is now a part, this paper ex plores the evaluation of individual performance, It considers the purp oses of staff appraisal and draws upon a study of criteria for self-ap praisal of teachers and upon experience gained in introducing teacher appraisal into schools. Different teaching environments are discussed and the additional demands upon academic staff in universities in term s of research are considered in the light of the recent Research Asses sment Exercises. Particular consideration is given to the performance of nursing departments in the 1992 exercise and to the implications fo r staff appraisal. Successful procedures for evaluating individual per formance in schools that might transfer to higher education are identi fied and strategies that might be adapted by nursing departments are s uggested. This paper argues that evaluation of individual performance is a worthwhile departmental function which, when successful, may help to create an atmosphere more conducive to the eventual successful int roduction of total quality management to the institution as a whole. I t concludes that the extra substantial demands upon staff time and ene rgy, at a time when nursing departments are trying to establish themse lves in the higher education sector, might be alleviated if the ground work already undertaken in schools is put to good use.