Implications for tertiary education: managerial competencies required of beginning practitioners in the health service sector

Five hundred and three experienced practitioners involved in management fro m four professional fields (medical radiation science, occupational therapy , speech pathology and physiotherapy) representing a range of health care s ettings participated in a survey. The survey examined the importance attach ed to managerial competencies for the beginning practitioner. The most impo rtant grouping related to management of future planning. Underlying compete ncies included decision making regarding nine management and communication with other staff. The second most important grouping of managerial competen cies related to organisational practices. These competencies included strat egic and organisation-wide management processes associated with change, vis ion, organisational awareness and decision making. The third grouping of ma nagerial competencies related to knowledge regarding legislation and in par ticular compliance with occupational health and safety regulations. Other c ompetencies were seen as less important for the beginning practitioner. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to health science curriculum development in higher education.