title: Professional identity and role transitions in clinical managers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this paper is to investigate how clinicians' professional background influences their transition into the managerial role and identity as clinical managers.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors interviewed and observed 30 clinicians in managerial positions in Norwegian hospitals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A central finding was that doctors experienced difficulties in reconciling the role as health professional with the role as manager. They maintained a health professional identity and reported to find meaning and satisfaction from clinical work. Doctors also emphasized clinical work as a way of gaining legitimacy and respect from medical colleagues. Nurses recounted a faster and more positive transition into the manager role, and were more fully engaged in the managerial aspects of the role.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The authors advance that health care organizations need to focus on role, identity and need satisfaction when recruiting and developing clinicians to become clinical managers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study suggests that the inclusion of aspects from identity and need satisfaction literature expands on and enriches the study of clinical managers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Management and Health Economics, Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Spehar
authors.forename: Jan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Frich
authors.forename: Lars Erik
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Kjekshus
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002322:Career Mobility; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008486:Physician Executives / Q000523:psychology*; D024382:Professional Role; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012933:Social Identification
keywords: Clinical manager; Doctor; Hybrid management; Identity; Nurse; Role transition