5 Characteristics that Help Healthcare Administrators Make a Difference
Doctors and nurses serve on the frontlines of the healthcare facilities across the country, but they’re hardly alone. Healthcare administrators and managers keep everything running behind the scenes and they are crucial to effective patient care. If you want to work on the business side of health care, an administrative position might be a way to enter this rewarding field. Do you have the five characteristics you’ll need?
1. Healthcare Managers Are Good Leaders
Do you always know what it takes to get the job done? Are you the one others look to for guidance? Do you know which team members are good at which roles and how to inspire them to work together? Those are all signs that you might be a good leader. Being a good leader doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re the head of a hospital or even a department. It means you are a great role model, know how to do your job, and how to motivate others to do theirs. You know the goals your team needs to reach and encourage others to do their best to reach them.
2. Problem Solving in Health Care Management
If you can pretty quickly understand when something’s not right, figure out what that is, and come up with a plan to fix it, that’s an awesome ability. Problem solving is a critical skill needed in the healthcare field. Whether you are a healthcare administrator or a health unit coordinator, problem solving can help you help others every day. To be great at these jobs, you need to think quickly on your feet so you can put out fires as fast as they flare up. Be comfortable thinking outside of the box and trying new solutions to find out what works best for you, your team, and especially for the patients.
3. Healthcare Administrators Adapt to Any Condition
As the pandemic has proven, things can change rapidly in the healthcare industry. You need to be prepared to handle any change that arises, from the implementation of new healthcare laws and policies to the onset of a global pandemic. You’ll also need to be open and willing to learn new processes and information as the field evolves. And there’s always new technology designed to help improve patient care.
4. Healthcare Administrators Have Good Interpersonal Skills
Even if you don’t treat patients, you will likely meet and greet them. In healthcare administration, you’ll also work with a team of professionals that include hospital staff, suppliers, insurance providers, and more. You’ll work with people all day long. That’s why to be effective in this role, you’ll need to be a people person and a good communicator. You’ll need to be diplomatic with your boss, communicate clearly with your staff and coworkers, and provide good customer service when you work with patients, vendors, and insurance agents.
5. Healthcare Administrators Are Passionate About Health Care
Above all, you should be passionate about the work you do. You work in health care because you want to help others. Although you won’t directly care for patients, your work allows doctors and nurses to focus on patient care rather than the business of health care. You’ll also contribute to the efficiency of the facility and its business practices. When you’re passionate about what you do, it’s infectious—in the good way.
If you’re truly passionate about health care, Charter College can help you start on the path to a career in the field. We offer a Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration degree that can help you become a healthcare administrator or manager. You’ll learn how to lead, communicate with others, and how the health care system works. Classes are enrolling now. Call 888-200-9942 or fill out the form to learn more.