Background: Tertiary hospitals are specialized institutions that provide managed care for patients. It has been shown that the productivity of any organization/institution is as good as the performance of its managers.
Aim: This study assessed the management knowledge of Healthcare Managers in a tertiary hospital in Calabar, Nigeria.
Methodology: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study that employed a structured questionnaire (adapted from the Health Leadership Alliance competency directory). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.
Results: A total of 266 managers were included in this studywith a M: F ratio of 1.3:1. The knowledge rating of role of non-clinical professionals, regulatory agency standards, preparation of business communication, change process management and policy formulation and analysis varied significantly among the three levels of management (p < 0.05). Less than 50% of operational and middle managers rated themselves as experts in all the competency domains while majority (80%) of strategic managers rated themselves as more than proficient in most of the competency items.
Conclusion: There is inadequate managerial knowledge at all levels of management in a typical tertiary hospital in Nigeria with the potential to impact negatively on quality healthcare delivery.
Keywords: Calabar; Nigeria; Tertiary healthcare managers; management knowledge; south-south.