Professional identity and role transitions in clinical managers

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Organizational Behavior

Background:

• The transition from clinician to clinical manager involves significant role and identity shifts.
• Understanding these transitions is crucial for effective healthcare leadership.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how clinicians' professional backgrounds influence their transition into clinical management roles.
• To explore the impact of professional identity on the managerial role.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving interviews and observations.
• 30 clinicians in managerial positions in Norwegian hospitals were studied.

Main Results:

• Doctors struggled to reconcile clinical and managerial roles, prioritizing clinical identity for legitimacy.
• Nurses reported a smoother transition, embracing managerial responsibilities more readily.
• Maintaining a health professional identity was key for doctors' satisfaction and collegial respect.

Conclusions:

• Healthcare organizations should support clinicians' role and identity transitions into management.
• Focusing on need satisfaction is vital for successful clinical manager development.
• Integrating identity and need satisfaction theories enriches the study of clinical managers.