Is Certification Important for Healthcare Administrators?
There is an administrative and financial aspect to healthcare that needs to be attended to for doctors and nurses to do their job of saving lives. A healthcare administrator handles these duties, from recruiting and supervising hospital personnel to ensuring state regulations are followed. In the smaller nursing facilities, healthcare administrators also have to stay involved in the day-to-day operations. Let's take a look at what goes into becoming a healthcare administrator.
Educational Requirements
A basic requirement for a career in healthcare administration is a bachelor's degree that provides knowledge about the field and training for entry-level management positions. The coursework includes teaching basic business skills, human resource management, and offering practical field experience to students.
License Requirements
Once you've acquired the qualifications, you will need to get a license depending on the job you're looking for. While most management staff at healthcare centers don't need a license, all the states have made it mandatory for nursing care facility administrators to be tested for state licensure. Some of the assisted living center managers are also required to get the license in order to carry out their duties. In order to maintain the validity of the license, your education must be continued along with your job.
Advantages Offered by Certification
The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) provides certifications on a voluntary basis for healthcare administrators. Since the certificate is voluntary, it is not a requirement to be eligible for a job, but possessing the certificate signals your proficiency in the field to the heads of the healthcare facility you wish to apply to. Thus, having the certificate helps aid the owner's career.
You will need to have graduated from an accredited BA program in healthcare administration or from an approved post-baccalaureate program in order to be eligible for certification. You will also need to continue your education along with your job in order to maintain the certification.
Moving Up the Ladder
As your skills and experience within the field increase, you can move up the executive ladder in healthcare administration. This usually means going from being the manager of one healthcare department to managing the entire facility. You can also move out of the facility to take on the role of a consultant, an educator, or a policy maker.
Qualities needed for reaching the Top
Naturally, education and training are not the only requirements for rising through the ranks of administrators to reach the top position in the field. In order to get to that level, you must demonstrate to the hospital authorities that you possess the following qualities:
1. Good Communication Skills
A healthcare administrator needs to be a good negotiator and be able to establish a positive working relationship with government officials who provide the license to the healthcare facility and the private companies that supply the facility with equipment, medicines, etc. Administrators also need to have a hands-on approach in dealing with hospital staff, and be able to get their point across to the other person in a non-confrontational and constructive manner.
2. Analytical Instincts
A large part of your job will relate to studying data related to the hospital's working and use it to identify points of interest, such as areas where the hospital is performing well and other areas which need some improvement.
3. Decision-Making Ability
Healthcare administrators do not take on the task of running the entire hospital on their own, but must learn effective ways to delegate authority to responsible individuals working under them. You will need to learn how to make crucial decisions relating to the hospital's upkeep in terms of managing budget, reducing or increasing the staff size and other related matters.
4. Focusing on the Goal
At the very top of your field of work, you will be in charge of creating the policy, which the hospital must follow in its day-to-day working. You must remember what the hospital is trying to achieve through its work, and ensure that all the resources of the organization are focused towards realizing that goal.
Are you interested in the field of healthcare administration? ECPI University offers a Bachelor of Health Science in Health Science with a concentration in Healthcare Administration to help you get started on this exciting path. For more information, connect with a helpful admissions advisor today and discuss your options.
It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!
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