Managerial competencies-A survey of healthcare managers in a tertiary hospital in Calabar, South-South Nigeria.

Abstract

Tertiary hospitals are specialized institutions that provide managed care for patients. It has been shown that the productivity of any organization/institution is as good as the performance of its managers. This study assessed the management knowledge of Healthcare Managers in a tertiary hospital in Calabar, Nigeria. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study that employed a structured questionnaire (adapted from the Health Leadership Alliance competency directory). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. A total of 266 managers were included in this studywith a M: F ratio of 1.3:1. The knowledge rating of role of non-clinical professionals, regulatory agency standards, preparation of business communication, change process management and policy formulation and analysis varied significantly among the three levels of management (p < 0.05). Less than 50% of operational and middle managers rated themselves as experts in all the competency domains while majority (80%) of strategic managers rated themselves as more than proficient in most of the competency items. There is inadequate managerial knowledge at all levels of management in a typical tertiary hospital in Nigeria with the potential to impact negatively on quality healthcare delivery.