The role of nurses in management with the National Health Service in Scotland

The introduction of an internal market in health care in 1991 was the most radical change to the National Health Service (NHS) since its inception. The consequent NHS changes and reforms have had a profound impact on nursing management and inevitably on nurses in management at a personal level. This paper reports on the initial findings of a study of 158 nurses in management within the NHS in Scotland and addresses their demographic features and their management training/education pattern. It was found that the majority of respondents (77.8%) were working in their current position less than 4 years. There was a significant relationship between marital status and gender and current position (P < 0.05). A total of 58.8% of women in senior positions were single, on the other hand there was no single male respondent at a senior manager position. In total, 37 nurses in management (23.4%) had a degree qualification and there was a relationship between having a degree, age and current position. Overall, approximately half of the respondents had a formal management training qualification and only 10.1% (16 subjects) had a degree level management education. However, a large proportion (65.8%) of nurses in management believe that degree level education in management is required to be able to perform their work satisfactorily.