An Examination of Supervisory Structures in Canadian Radiation Therapy Departments Using National Phone Interviews

Abstract Background Canadian radiation therapy departments usually have flat organizational structures, with relatively few administrative/managerial levels. The “unit supervisor” level is a typical job role that provides direct supervision of one or more treatment units with a mixture of clinical and administrative duties. Methods At the British Columbia Cancer Agency, the unit supervisor role was recently evaluated. One approach used as part of the evaluative process was a series of telephone interviews to examine similar roles across Canada (n = 9). Results Data indicated that departmental administrative tasks seem to be increasing significantly, and there is a move toward the addition of more administrative “middle” roles across the country to deal with these. Unit supervisor roles are subsequently becoming less clinical, but there is an emerging tension with moving away from solely clinical responsibilities and assuming more administrative work. Conclusions The historic unit supervisor role was part of the team and did little administrative work. This model is becoming difficult to sustain, and tensions can arise in this new environment when using old organizational models. Focused departmental clinical expertise is important; however, balancing clinical and administrative expectations within the unit supervisor role can be problematic. Role expectations need to be examined, clarified, and communicated within departments. If unit supervisor roles are deemed clinical experts, then clinical time needs to be protected for expertise to be sustained.