Cent Eur J Nurs Midw 2017, 8(2):632-640 | DOI: 10.15452/CEJNM.2017.08.0012

COMPETENCIES OF NURSE MANAGERS IN SLOVENIA: A QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE STUDY

Karmen Erjavec1,2,*, Jasmina Starc1,2
1 Institut for Research and Development FPUV, Faculty of Business and Management Sciences Novo mesto, Slovenia
2 Institut for Research and Development FZV, Faculty of Health Sciences Novo mesto, Slovenia

Aim: The aim of the study is to identify nurse managers' competencies in Slovenia regarding various healthcare organisations, public and private healthcare sectors, and management levels, as well as the reasons for their differences.

Design: The study was based on quantitative and qualitative research.

Methods: An online survey was conducted among 297 nurse managers in Slovenia, and in-depth interviews with 12 nurse managers were carried out.

Results: Managers who worked in nursing homes were significantly more likely to perceive themselves as being more competent in leadership (p = 0.001) and financial management (p = 0.004) than their colleagues. Managers who had higher management positions were significantly more likely to perceive themselves as being more competent in financial management than their colleagues in lower management positions (p = 0.002). Nurse managers in the private sector perceived themselves to be significantly more competent in financial management (p = 0.0001). The reasons for nurse managers' differences in proficiency levels are the degree of job security, and degree of autonomy and support in the healthcare team.

Conclusion: The study identified inadequate nurse manager competencies, and reflected the needs of nurse managers for designing and providing health management programmes aimed at enhancing management capacity in the health sector in Slovenia.

Keywords: management, competencies, skills, nurse managers, Slovenia, in-depth interviews, healthcare organisations, management level

Received: August 26, 2016; Accepted: December 15, 2016; Published: September 30, 2017  Show citation

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Erjavec K, Starc J. COMPETENCIES OF NURSE MANAGERS IN SLOVENIA: A QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE STUDY. Central European Journal of Nursing and Midwifery. 2017;8(2):632-640. doi: 10.15452/CEJNM.2017.08.0012.
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