title: Developing the nursing contribution to the management of the mental health services.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Nursing Research Unit, King's College, London University, UK.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murrells
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Robinson
mesh_terms: D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing; D006801:Humans; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration*