A human care approach to nursing peer review.

Peer review is accepted as a necessary and appropriate mechanism by which to monitor professional behavior and facilitate professional development. The American Nurses Association has supported the process of peer review for over 2 decades. Although peer review is becoming a part of nursing practice and education, it has not been universally adopted. If nurses are apprehensive of peer review due to feelings of insecurity and distrust, it can prohibit peer review from being implemented. By using the theory of human care as the underpinning for the development and implementation of nursing peer review programs, a caring environment is created that helps nurses to accept and benefit from the process.