New-Hire Orientation Peer Review Topic

Am in the process of going through new-hire orientation at a Magnet hospital. Have been an RN for one year. During the Risk Management speech/portion of orientation the CNO comes to speak and states that we (nurses) should not think of Peer Review as a bad thing but should think of it as a good thing because should the patient sue over an adverse event, and the nurse has been through the Peer Review process and found to have done everything a prudent nurse would have done, then it will only help the nurse in court. She stated that every time a nurse does something wrong then she/he is put through the Peer Review process and most of the time the nurse is found to have done what she/he should have done and it is used as a teaching opportunity but on occasion they are made aware of circumstances where they have to alert the BON.

Ok, now even though I have been a nurse for one year, I cannot guarantee I will never make a mistake in my entire nursing career, that is ridiculous. The thought of going through the Peer Review process for every mistake, which could in turn, possibly send me in front of the BON, threatening my license, now has me terrified.

Is it normal for a hospital to do this or is this extreme? My previous hospital was not at all like that, not that they tried to hide anything. What do you all think? Should I be worried? Should I start looking elsewhere seeing as I just got there?
In Texas peer review is mandatory for certain events. In some instances the nurse has to be reported immediately (like injuring a patient on purpose) and in other events the committee meets first, then decides if the report meets BON criteria. Like the CNO said, if something occurs and you are deemed "innocent" then that will be to your advantage. The CNO may be obligated by state law to report. Most do not take the time to explain to nurses however, and I take that as a positive thing. It is like saying , "well, just in case you get sued here is how malpractice insurance works". You may never be sued and you may never have an incident worthy of peer review, but now you have an idea how these two systems work.

I prefer working in an environment where the risk management process is transparent and standardized. I wouldn't be concerned about working in this environment, I would welcome it, as it seems like it could promote patient safety culture.

You two are probably right and I am probably just concerned with the unfamiliar.