This first part of the study presents the literature on the evolution of personnel administration and discussess the organization/individual interaction from the mechanistic up to the systemic focusing. The systemic approach is based on the organization sociologic concept. The performance evaluation is studied as an integral part of human resources administration which in the health area, is considered a subsystem of the health system. The objectives of evaluation area analysed as well as the methods and techniques used, the training of the individuals participating in the evaluation process, the periodicity of the evaluation process and the feelings of both the evaluator and the evaluated person. As far as nursing is concerned it is underlined what has been done on nurse performance evaluation in other countries. The lack of studies on this subject in Brasil is stressed.