TY - UNPB

T1 - Health care professionals or new public sector management? The case of senior nurses

AU - Bolton, Sharon

PY - 2003

Y1 - 2003

N2 - The incorporation of health professionals into the management of the British National Health Service (NHS) is a distinctive strategy ultimately aimed at involving senior nurses and doctors through normative devices. Rather than attempting to directly manage professionals, which has proved to be enduringly problematic, it is deemed more effective to ''recreate'' professionals as managers. Survey data collected from 170 nurses who are middle managers, i.e. ward and unit managers, indicates a mixed response to such endeavours. Drawing on questionnaire and interview data, and using Goffman''s concept of role analysis as an analytical framework, it can be seen how senior nurses enthusiastically embrace many aspects of the management role but remain suspicious of, and distance themselves from, a management philosophy that emphasises entrepreneurial activity.

AB - The incorporation of health professionals into the management of the British National Health Service (NHS) is a distinctive strategy ultimately aimed at involving senior nurses and doctors through normative devices. Rather than attempting to directly manage professionals, which has proved to be enduringly problematic, it is deemed more effective to ''recreate'' professionals as managers. Survey data collected from 170 nurses who are middle managers, i.e. ward and unit managers, indicates a mixed response to such endeavours. Drawing on questionnaire and interview data, and using Goffman''s concept of role analysis as an analytical framework, it can be seen how senior nurses enthusiastically embrace many aspects of the management role but remain suspicious of, and distance themselves from, a management philosophy that emphasises entrepreneurial activity.

KW - modern matron

KW - new public sector management

KW - nurses

KW - public sector

M3 - Working paper

T3 - Organisation, Work and Technology Working Paper Series

BT - Health care professionals or new public sector management? The case of senior nurses

PB - The Department of Organisation, Work and Technology

CY - Lancaster University

ER -