Developing Prospective Managers

Abstract

Can managers be made? Can nurses with limited clinical experience become successful managers? Is there an objective process that can reliably predict success of applicants in a management development program? Is it possible to objectively measure and evaluate managerial skill? In this project, one candidate was successful in meeting the management training objectives; one was not. The only variables shared by both candidates were gender (both female) and 1 year of clinical nursing experience. One of the aims of the project was to identify any relationship between amount of clinical experience and success as a potential manager. As previously stressed, a sample of two participants is not sufficient to come to any reliable conclusions about this or the the other questions. However, since one candidate did meet the objectives for competent performance, we can say that an individual may not need to have several years of clinical experience for a beginning management position. Being an effective manager depends on many qualities, relationships, and values. Managing effectively is a complex interpersonal process that often is hard if not impossible to quantify or qualify. Experience with the Prospective Manager Project applicants and the participants gives us some reason to believe that, although we cannot answer these questions with a resounding unqualified "yes", we can say that it would seem possible to answer in the positive, and that future trials and experiences will provide more absolute answers to these important questions.