Health care managers' and administrators' roles, functions, and responsibilities

Health care managers and administrators are increasingly assuming leadership and management responsibilities for multiple units and departments. To determine key roles, functions, and responsibilities of nursing and other health care managers and administrators, a survey was conducted to identify the perceived importance and amount of time these individuals devote to selected activities. Although the amount of time and perceived importance of selected activities varied with each environmental context, some key roles, functions, and responsibilities across practice disciplines did emerge. Regardless of the environmental context, administrators and managers at all levels in health care organizations spend significant amounts of time and place high value on communication, problem solving and decision making, collaboration with other disciplines, people development, and cost containment.