Developing the nursing contribution to the management of the mental health services

The importance of management and leadership in mental health nursing has been stressed in an extensive review of the role of the profession in the mental health services. Drawing from a longitudinal study of the careers of a cohort of registered mental nurses, this paper presents data relevant to developing the management capability of the profession. The data were obtained from a questionnaire sent to the cohort at qualification, 80% of whom responded. Findings showed that 14% thought that at some stage they would definitely seek a management post and 19% thought it likely. Only 18% had received information during the course about developing a career in management. Sixty-nine per cent of those who had not received such information would have liked to have had some. Just over half (51%) felt that their course had prepared them well for aspects of ward management and 46% held this view in relation to management of other nursing staff. A statistical modelling approach as used to explore the relationships between these three aspects of management and a range of demographic and course perception variables considered as possible predictors of seeking a post in management. These analyses demonstrated that likelihood of seeking such a post was significantly associated with sex of respondent, with receipt of information about developing a career in management, and with being encouraged by the course to want to work as a psychiatric nurse. Strategies to encourage an early orientation towards management posts are considered in the light of the findings.