Magister Curationis - MCur / Nursing unit managers from different generations of nurses are expected to manage their units effectively, in order to achieve the healthcare goals for their clients. Directing a unit can be affected by the generational differences among nursing unit managers. It has been stated that generational differences are associated with different perceptions on directing a nursing unit. However, in Namibia, no similar evidence exists to support this theory; therefore, a contextual understanding of the nursing unit managers’ perceptions was necessary to inform future measures of improving the management of a nursing unit. Aim: The purpose of this study was to understand and explore the perceptions of nursing unit managers, from different generation cohorts, on directing a unit. Methods: An exploratory - descriptive qualitative research approach was employed. The data were collected from ten participants, using semi-structured interviews. The data analysis was done through thematic content analysis. Results The nursing unit managers had positive perceptions about their role of directing a nursing unit. The managers’ perceptions of communication, motivation, coaching, and leadership were similar. The differences in the managers’ perceptions were not directly related to generational differences between the nursing unit managers. In general, the nursing unit managers valued communication, and considered it the most significant skill required in directing a nursing unit. Discussion: Nursing unit managers from different generation cohorts view their role of directing a unit positively, and share similar perceptions, regardless of the differences in their generations. The little differences noted were not directly related to the nursing unit managers’ generations. Therefore, nursing unit managers need to be well skilled in communication, motivation, coaching, and leadership, to manage a nursing unit/ward.

The purpose of this study has been to examine the unit manager’s perspective on making Lex Sarah-notifications. The study has been carries out by six semi structured interviews with persons in leading positions of the elderly from three different municipalities. They were asked about different circumstances that affects the problems with Lex Sarah. The results indicates that the unit manager’s act on elder abuse from the complex mechanisms that exist within the organization. The study results shows that the unit manager’s in the daily tasks are doing their work and solve problems regarding the risk of elder abuse that occur over time, but circumstances will determine if its documented prescribed by a Lex Sarah. The conclusion is that the unit manager’s of the elderly is limited by the circumstances and processes within the organization and that it affects them to lift up and report abuse among the elderly.

The nursing team in a mental health care facility is a known dynamic at every hospital, rehabilitation centre and out-patient unit which enables these units to be functional. Currently nursing teams function in a challenged environment in mental health care facilities. The National Department of Health in South Africa states that one of the priority areas in the core standards of health care is to improve values and attitudes of health care professionals. One of the ways to accomplish this is that leaders at all levels should be positive role models to staff to encourage a culture of caring and positive attitudes that supports service delivery. However, mental health care in practice is in contradiction to this ideology of how mental health should function. In reality, regular involuntary treatment, minimal patient contact with therapists, negative attitudes, pressure of beds not being available as well as regular seclusions due to unmanageable situations are experienced in practice. The aim of this study is to explore and describe the role of the nursing unit manager to improve nursing teamwork in a mental health care facility in Gauteng in order to improve the quality of health care. A qualitative, explorative, interpretive descriptive and contextual design was selected to address the research question at hand. Non-probability, purposive sampling was used. A focus group discussion was held (n=8) and graphic team sculptings were done with each participant (n=9). The state of the current nursing team was described and explored as well as the practical intervention aimed at improving nursing teamwork. Data of the focus group was analysed using content analysis. Graphic team sculptings were analysed by interpretation analysis. The results of this research study indicated that nursing teamwork is influenced by various factors that can be categorized as organisational-, unit specific- and unit manager specific factors. There might be a negative organisational culture and negative attitudes of team members. There is uncertainty in the hierarchy structures, below the unit manager that causes power struggles, this has an effect on the responsibility and accountability in the absence of the unit manager. Individual team member’s needs constant supervision and direction to complete their daily tasks. The unit managers feel like there is poor support from top management. The general ward assistants and administrative clerks is seen as part of the team, although they are not directly involved with patient care, they contribute to the teams functioning. Mental health care facilities are overcrowded and this increases the workload of the nursing team. Trust and cohesion within the teams is low with poor communication between team members due to clique formation. The unit manager plays a vital role through leadership, collaboration, fair delegation and guidance. Individualism and diversity should be embraced. The unit managers acts as a role model and leader that bring the teams together and solve problems, facilitates effective communication and involves all the team members in decision making. / MCur, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The nursing team in a mental health care facility is a known dynamic at every hospital, rehabilitation centre and out-patient unit which enables these units to be functional. Currently nursing teams function in a challenged environment in mental health care facilities. The National Department of Health in South Africa states that one of the priority areas in the core standards of health care is to improve values and attitudes of health care professionals. One of the ways to accomplish this is that leaders at all levels should be positive role models to staff to encourage a culture of caring and positive attitudes that supports service delivery. However, mental health care in practice is in contradiction to this ideology of how mental health should function. In reality, regular involuntary treatment, minimal patient contact with therapists, negative attitudes, pressure of beds not being available as well as regular seclusions due to unmanageable situations are experienced in practice. The aim of this study is to explore and describe the role of the nursing unit manager to improve nursing teamwork in a mental health care facility in Gauteng in order to improve the quality of health care. A qualitative, explorative, interpretive descriptive and contextual design was selected to address the research question at hand. Non-probability, purposive sampling was used. A focus group discussion was held (n=8) and graphic team sculptings were done with each participant (n=9). The state of the current nursing team was described and explored as well as the practical intervention aimed at improving nursing teamwork. Data of the focus group was analysed using content analysis. Graphic team sculptings were analysed by interpretation analysis. The results of this research study indicated that nursing teamwork is influenced by various factors that can be categorized as organisational-, unit specific- and unit manager specific factors. There might be a negative organisational culture and negative attitudes of team members. There is uncertainty in the hierarchy structures, below the unit manager that causes power struggles, this has an effect on the responsibility and accountability in the absence of the unit manager. Individual team member’s needs constant supervision and direction to complete their daily tasks. The unit managers feel like there is poor support from top management. The general ward assistants and administrative clerks is seen as part of the team, although they are not directly involved with patient care, they contribute to the teams functioning. Mental health care facilities are overcrowded and this increases the workload of the nursing team. Trust and cohesion within the teams is low with poor communication between team members due to clique formation. The unit manager plays a vital role through leadership, collaboration, fair delegation and guidance. Individualism and diversity should be embraced. The unit managers acts as a role model and leader that bring the teams together and solve problems, facilitates effective communication and involves all the team members in decision making. / MCur, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

In the essay Unit Manager´s daily study of relationships in municipal elderly care, my purpose is to investigate how unit managers in elderly care have interpreted their assignments based on the organizational framework politics, organizations, employees, care recipents and relatives. Previous research shows that unit managers as intermediaries has a complex mission. The intermediary lives between various interests, which constitutes the complexity of the profession as unit manager. That is to say, different demands are made on unit managers, where the organization from above sets requirements such as efficiency and results and down the organizations requires confirmation and understanding. To answer my question How do eight unit managers in elderly care understand their mission based on the organizational framework I saw the most relevant use of interview as a relevant method. My purpose and question was based on social interaction where qualitative research is an appropriate method of using when you cannot measure social interaction with numbers. To analyze my material, I use Erving Goffman`s theory that the individual includes many different roles that are part of our inner self. The theoretical concepts I use are role, facade and expressivity. The result of my study shows that the unit managers committment contains care recipents, staff, financial responsibility and to lead and distribute employees. Politics feels close but still far away for the unit managers where the current political plan governs. The unit managers need support from the organization. The assignment includes work with motivating employees which includes questions related to relations and communication. Relationship to employees is of great importance. Unit managers responsibility for the care recipents and employees deals with handling and to cope situations where both care recipents participate and are being listened to

The aim of this study was to investigate how unit-managers implement home-care users right to self-determination within home-care services and witch conditions that indicated home-care users self-determination. The empirical material was analysed through qualitative content analysis, which generated two themes: 1) To be the center of the spider web and 2)  To work with implementation plans. The empirical material was also analysed with previous research, implementation theory and street-level bureaucracy.  The result show that unit-managers has a duty to implement and contribute to home-care users self-determination. Unit-managers shall ensure that home-care users has self-determination within the organisational framework, conditions and requirements and also based on home-care users preferences. Methods like IBIC (individual based care) and function preservation work method, are being used to preserve home-care users independency and self-determination throughout the work. Unit-managers implement self-determination using opinion-forms, implementation-plans, contact persons and through dialog with home-care personal creates normes, values and work methods. The conclusion is that self-determination is used by home-care users to influence their aid by leaving complains and opinions to home-care personal, on a opinion form or directly to the unit-manager. Home-care users can decline aid if they are unhappy or feel that they does not have the need for the specific aid. Self-determination has conditions and it exists many obstacles for home-care users desires and right to self-determination.

This study is based on interviews with five unit managers working in the functional disabilities business. The purpose of this paper is to examine how these unit managers see their roles and their leadership, and to give the reader an insight into what it might entail to be a manager in social work. Theories applied are the role theory and three leadership theories. The previous research this study made ​​use of affects “leadership in social work" and "manager's role and leadership style." Being a unit manager of the functional disabilities business means having a so-called middle management position, which entails expectations being directed upon them from various avenues. The results show that managers in this study specifically identify that their guidance is being directly affected by the absence of a job description, which according to the managers means they are forced to rely on themselves to construct a framework for their own professional capacity. The interviewed managers say that the lack of a job description causes a number of negative consequences, not only on their personal roles but for the business as a whole. Examples of such negative consequences have shown that the unit managers are not always certain of what is included in their role and how to prioritize between different tasks. According to the managers, the absence of a job description is ultimately driving large variations between different units in terms of how managers work. However, the results also show that the lack of a job description is affecting the managers performance in their ability to make confident, executive decisions. Factors affecting management and leadership in social work highlighted as important include education, social skills, ability to understand individuals in a group, self-awareness and humility. An important point to be emphasized is that education does not automatically make a person a good manager and leader, the personal qualities are essential.

Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka vilka faktorer som upplevs vara attraktiva i arbetet som enhetschef. För att svara mot syftet har studien genomförts med en kvalitativ metod i form av semistrukturerade intervjuer där urvalsgrupperna består av enhetschefer och HR-konsulter. Resultatet i studien kan bidra till att öka förståelsen om vilka faktorer som är attraktiva i arbetet och vilka områden som kan utvecklas för att skapa en bättre arbetsmiljö med hälsofrämjande arbete. Resultatet visar att de faktorer som upplevs vara attraktiva kan delas in i tre kategorier som utgörs av förutsättningar, påverkan och meningsfullhet. Exempelvis framkommer det att storlek av arbetsgrupp, handlingsfrihet och stimulans är avgörande för tjänstens attraktivitet. Sammantaget är det av stor vikt att undersöka vilka faktorer som upplevs vara attraktiva eftersom det kan leda till att enhetschefer stannar kvar i arbetet. / The purpose of this research is to examine what factors that appears to be attractive in the work as a unit manager. In order to achieve this purpose, a qualitative research method was chosen, using semi-structured interviews with a sample consisting of unit managers and human resource consultants. The results generated in this research aims to improve the understanding of what factors that appears as attractive in the work as a unit manager. Furthermore, the research also aims to contribute to the understanding of what areas that needs to be developed in order to create an improved and healthier work-environment for unit managers. The results in this study shows that the factors that appears as attractive can be divided into three categories; prerequisites, impact and meaningfulness. This is highlighted in for example the size of the work-group, the level of independence inhabited and stimulation, which appears as factors crucial for the attractiveness in the role as a unit manager. The reason why this study is of vital importance is because understanding the factors that appears as attractive in the work as a unit manager can be crucial in maintaining the unit managers in the workplace.

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The purpose of this study was to understand how unit managers within communal home care service for older people, convert political policy and guidelines into practical care, and how they within this process govern their personnel. The study was based on a qualitative method with a hermeneutic approach. Former research disclose that the process of converting political policy and guidelines and how unit managers govern personnel are somewhat tenuous. Previous research show structural shifts and reorganisations within public service consequently shaping todays structure of organizations and management. The study draws on eight interviews with unit managers within two municipalities in Sweden. To carry out our interviews we used a semi-structured interview guide followed with an analysis of our main results using Lipskys concept of discretion and Foucaults theory of governmentality. The results indicate that unit managers’ work, converting political policy and guidelines into practical care, are complex. The study shows that unit managers experience difficulties and differ in their ways in the process of adapting political policy and guidelines into practical care. Unit managers therefor find some of the guidelines more difficult to integrate than others. We find it important in this study to highlight the different ways unit managers work in the process of converting political policy and guidelines, and how they in the process govern their personnel.