<p>Managerial Competence of First-Line Nurse Managers in Public Hospitals in Indonesia</p>

Abstract

Working as a first-line nurse manager requires high managerial competence as an essential component in the delivery of health care. Therefore, factors that influence managerial competence warrant examination. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with managerial competence of the first-line nurse managers using the best-fit model of human resource management framework. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 247 first-line nurse managers from 18 public hospitals in Indonesia participated. Data on managerial competence and its related factors were collected via validated questionnaires. Results: The five factors of managerial competence were identified-performance appraisal (β = 0.476, p < 0.001), career advancement (β = 0.425, p < 0.001), recruitment and selection (β = 0.354, p < 0.001), larger hospitals (β = 0.165, p = 0.001), and management training attendance (β = 0.109, p = 0.029), which collectively explained 44.9% of the variance in managerial competence. Conclusion: Human resource management factors, hospital types, and training attendance have significant roles to improve managerial competence of the first-line nurse managers. Nurse managers should provide routine performance appraisal, career advancement, and transparent recruitment and selection as well as to improve the attendance of management training and learn from larger hospitals for leadership and development of the first-line nurse managers.

Senior first, junior second

“…However, some hospitals may ask nurses with seniority whether they want to be appointed as head nurse. 14 Fourth, if a nurse with seniority is transferred to another workplace or working unit that also adopts a seniority system, the length of working experience in line with the age of the nurse helps the nurse secure a position with the same, or possibly higher benefits. 11 Seniority offers benefits to the nurse as an individually and provides a sense of security through their invaluable experience.…”

“…A nurse with only 6 months experience may perform better than a nurse with a 20-year tenure in an organization. 14 Therefore, with the seniority system, newly graduated nurses will avoid jobs in hospitals with seniority systems, and this negatively impacts the nursing shortage. Besides, there are many hospitals in Indonesia and Thailand that require their nurses to work at least 5 or 10 years in clinical practice before stepping into leadership positions.…”

“…19 Years of service cannot represent nurses as "experienced" leaders if they are slow to adopt to the latest technology, developing new and innovative care models, and showing leadership behaviors. 14 In fact, many senior nurses are not ready to be new managers or leaders. Having many years of clinical skills will not make an individual an expert in leadership skills.…”

Nurse managers’ competencies: A scoping review

“…(2000) defined them as the skills, knowledge and capacity necessary to achieve quality health care. Therefore, competency can be defined as the appropriate combination and application of nurse executives’ knowledge, attitudes and skills in specific management functions that are observed and measured as behaviours (Gunawan et al., 2020). In order to identify, orient and train the nurse managers, competencies are an essential resource (Meadows & Dwyer, 2015).…”

Competency Model for the Middle Nurse Manager (MCGE-Logistic Level)

“…Although there is no single definition of management competency [29], we can define it as the correct combination and application of the knowledge, attitudes and skills of middle nurse managers in specific management functions, which are observed and measured as behaviors [30]. New [31] defines managerial competencies as those in which the nurses are able to collaborate with other people, whereast Hudak et al [32] define them as the skills, knowledge and capacities necessary to achieve quality healthcare.…”