It goes without saying that for any specialist who wants to succeed in his career, it is essential to get an insight into his future profession in order to analyze his strengths and weaknesses and assess his suitability for this job. At the same time, constant development is required – that is why a specialist should evaluate his personal and career goals to create the strategies for their achievement. The purpose of this paper is to review the profession of a healthcare administrator, its duties, educational requirements, and skills necessary for it. In addition, I will provide my career goals, how they may be achieved, and where I see myself in 5 years.
Profession Overview
Healthcare administrators work behind the scenes to make large-scale decisions for the healthcare facility or institution. They deal directly with policy and budgets to create better patient experiences and ensure the safety of guests and staff. At the same time, healthcare administrators have in-depth knowledge of the regulatory framework in patient care. Their responsibilities are entirely different from the responsibilities of a doctor or physician. While physicians manage patients directly, healthcare administrators oversee the facility itself and usually have a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in healthcare administration.
Educational Requirements
In general, there are five steps necessary to become a health care administrator. They are the following:
- Step 1: Obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Health Care Administration.
- Step 2: Gain Work Experience.
- Step 3: Consider an MHA Program.
- Step 4: Earn Industry Certifications, such as Executive Certification (CRCE) and Professional Certification (CRCP). Certified Healthcare Financial Professional (CFHP). Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ). Education, professional experience in the healthcare administration field, and membership in the certifying body are some of the requirements for getting a certification. Moreover, the majority of credentials require passing an exam. According to AAHAM, certification can help earn more money, enhance a specialist’s profession, and broaden his abilities by allowing him to continue his education.
- Step 5: Pursue a Job in Healthcare Administration.
Job Duties
Healthcare administrators manage day-to-day operations and plan future upgrades to keep medical facilities running efficiently. Healthcare administrators’ job descriptions vary depending on their position; however, they may include:
- Coordinating the schedules of employees.
- Supervising the hiring and compensation of employees.
- Increasing productivity.
- Budgeting and financial management.
- Keeping track of your health.
- Taking care of the needs of doctors, nurses, and other members of the staff.
- Ascertaining that the facility complies with all applicable healthcare rules and regulations.
At the same time, not all healthcare administrators will have all these responsibilities. For example, government-employed healthcare administrators are usually focused on health policy and do not have many of these administrative responsibilities. However, they could potentially advance your career at a facility and assume more responsibility, such as shaping programs for the entire corporation.
Personality Traits and Skill Sets Required for the Profession
There are certain skills or behaviors that I identified myself as being specific to health care administration, like teamwork and communication. First of all, communication skills are required for having communication with patients, explaining them each step that you are performing on them or everything that you are going to do with their medications. For example, I work in a cardiologist’s office, and I was at the front desk that day, and I was trying to scan all paper works on the chart to check them out. In addition, I called the patient to take her payment and I had to communicate with her about each step that I was taking. Moreover, communication skills are necessary for coordinated teamwork. I love working as a team to be able to help each other and promote patient happiness, prevent medical errors, and improve the quality of care.
Summary of My Career Goals
As a matter of fact, for people who have a bachelor’s degree, the only best option is to move ahead in their career and get a higher degree. It increases the chance of more earnings and opportunities. The administration of healthcare includes planning, coordinating, and organizing patient data and storing it correctly, finance sector, and general communication. Jobs we get after a master’s degree in healthcare administration are- chief executive officer, chief operations officer, clinic manager, director of the department, supervisor of the department, facility manager, and consultant.
That is why the first thing I would like to do is apply for an MHA degree (Master of Healthcare Administration). Some MHA programs are required to hold some professional experience prior to enrollment, such as an internship or fellowship as a part of graduation. If individuals have that, they can directly apply – otherwise, it takes 2-6 months of the internship program from a good hospital, and after that, it is possible to apply for a master’s degree. As we all know, I have to examine after 5 years what I like to be, so firstly I complete my master’s degree from a good institute which takes 2 years then I will join any reputed hospital as a supervisor of the department. Every hospital likes to hire people who have master’s degrees, they get preference. Then after 2 years I get a promotion by doing hard work and became a clinic manager.
How KU Career Services Can Assist in Obtaining Career Goals
Career services are the types of help offered by a department of the same name on most college campuses. Career service departments assist students with almost any aspect of their career from reviewing resumes to helping students decide what jobs they will pursue after graduation.
- Career exploration: Getting a degree can prepare students for a job in a specific industry or provide students with skills that can be used in a wide range of career fields.
- Job recruiting: Career services departments exist to help students find the best jobs suited to their degree background and personal skill set. They make connections and partner with companies to ensure students have opportunities to pursue a career through job fairs and employment search portals.
- Resume reviews: A career services department will help students prepare and review a resume as they begin a job search.
- Interview practice and tips: Career services often include practical help for students ready to enter the job market. This includes assistance with interviewing skills.
- Internship connections: A career service department is often the best place to seek internship opportunities.
- Loan and debt counseling: Career services may also include help planning your financial outlook once you graduate.
Where I See Myself Professionally in 5 Years
In five years, I would like to become the best in my nursing career and progress to the next stage of my nursing profession by acquiring more skills necessary for me to be able to solve problems and give treatments in a more professional way. Some of my skills include the ability to plan, organize and prioritize work, the ability to make decisions and solve them, analytical and research skills, and interpersonal skills. My short-term goal is to apply my ideas to my work to gain more experience. In turn, my long-term goal is to have stable employment and grow with the company as well. Leaving a legacy means putting a stamp on the future. Most people leave a legacy because they want other generations yet unborn to know their life mattered. A professional legacy is what you will be remembered for after you might have left the organization. There is not much difference between legacy and professional life.
Conclusion
To conclude, this paper may be regarded as an overview of the profession of a healthcare administrator. In particular, it helps me synthesize all information related to it in order to assess my preparedness. At the same time, I had an opportunity to reflect on my future career goals and how they could be achieved in the most appropriate way. Thus, this paper helps evaluate my current competencies and skills to understand in what spheres I should develop to be successful in my profession. In addition, it allows to present my goals and expectations to have a clear vision of them.