A Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist's Transition to Manager.

The purpose of this exploratory qualitative study was twofold: (1) to identify common experiences or barriers that arise during the first year as Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) move into management and (2) to identify knowledge, skills, abilities, and resources needed to ensure a smooth and successful career transition for new CRNA managers. A sample of 18 current and past CRNA managers participated in one-on-one phone interviews using a 16-question, semistructured interview protocol. Interview data were analyzed for emergent themes using qualitative data analysis software. Results identified 2 common phenomena among CRNA managers. First, many managers did not seek management opportunities but fell into their management role, with 11 (61%) having no management experience. Second, 14 (76%) of the participants performed greater than 50% clinical duties as a manager, thus a hybrid manager. Important knowledge, skills, abilities, and resources identified as valuable during a transition into a managerial role included mentorship (83%), previous relevant education or experiences (67%), and people skills (56%). This study found lack of direction or training (28%) as the most common difficulty during transition. Results of this investigation may assist current and future CRNA managers to be better prepared to assume managerial roles.