Making the transition from health professional to manager

Abstract

Health professionals who make a career change into a managerial role frequently find that the adjustment is a difficult one. Often they are not well prepared for the new role. They find that the world of the manager is different in a number of ways from the professional world they have known, and the skills required for effective performance are also different. This preliminary study, which involved interviews with a number of professionals who have made the transition, highlighted the adjustments they had to make and the transition difficulties they experienced. Attention is drawn to a number of ways in which health professionals can be assisted to develop into effective managers.