Assessment system starts with new hire

New hires fill out self-evaluation form

When new employees are hired at Daniel Freeman Hospital in Inglewood, CA, they fill out a self-administered competency assessment of whether they can meet their job description.

That initial assessment forms the framework for a competency assessment system that follows them throughout their careers at the hospital.

The competency assessment system, developed by a team from the rehab staff, starts with core competencies that must be met during the first 90 days of employment, and builds each year to encompass individual goals that are included in the employee's annual performance review.

The new competency assessment system went into effect in the rehabilitation department in the spring of 1997 and is now being implemented throughout the hospital, according to Ellie LeVine, PT, discipline coordinator for physical therapy.

New employees have 90 days to complete the core competencies for their discipline. Then they meet with their supervisor to set goals for the rest of the year. Employees who were already on board when the competency assessment began in the spring of 1997 also had to complete the core competencies and set goals for the year.

The new system makes annual performance reviews more succinct, as well as more meaningful and interesting for both the employee and the supervisor, by eliminating duplication and focusing on the employees' new goals.

"In the past, when we did performance reviews, we went over the same things every year. With this system, once you have met the basic core competencies, we don't go back and address them again unless a need is shown," LeVine says.

The new system also makes employees responsible for meeting the professional development goals they set during the year because their performance evaluation hinges on them.

"In the past, we may have set our goals for the year and if we didn't meet them, put them down for next year. Now they are accountable. They must demonstrate that they have met their goals during their performance evaluations," LeVine says.

The discipline coordinators and education coordinators in speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy have looked at the goals of all staff members so they can set up inservice training to meet staff training needs.

"We're looking for trends to see if there are areas of common interest so that the hospital as a whole can set up inservices on topics that the staff wants to learn about," LeVine says.

The core competency skills are checked off when the supervisor observes the employee doing them.

More advanced competency skills may be demonstrated by turning in a research paper or a certification that the employee took a class or completed a self-study course.

The hospital is working on more advanced competencies to define the skills needed to treat specific populations, such as stroke and brain injury.

The team has compiled a list of people who can validate the competencies within their areas of expertise. Some are in areas outside of rehabilitation. For instance, if a goal is learning to read X-rays, the therapist can ask a radiologist to evaluate him or her on their skills.

Ellie Levine may be reached at (310) 674-7050, extension 3345.