Healthcare Administrator Characteristics
- Logical, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Abilities
- Leadership and Management Expertise
- Written, Verbal and Nonverbal Communication Skills
- Organizational Abilities
- Integrity and Personal Responsibility
If you're searching for the perfect degree program, the perfect major or the perfect career, you might be wondering if you have the right personality to become a healthcare administrator. By all appearances, healthcare administration is an excellent career choice. This is a prestigious vocation, and healthcare administrators are well respected. This is an expanding field offering incoming professionals a bright future employment outlook. Healthcare administrators earn excellent salaries averaging $96,540 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. If you have the following 5 unique characteristics, a career in healthcare administration is probably ideal for you:
1. Logical, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Abilities
Successful healthcare administrators have to solve all kinds of problems. They have to keep their facilities in compliance with the latest healthcare regulations mandated at local, state and federal levels. They deal with staffing their healthcare facilities despite nursing shortages, staffing problems and low employee morale. Above all, healthcare administrators must be adept problem solvers who have the capabilities to think logically and critically.
2. Leadership and Management Expertise
Healthcare administrators must have the capabilities to build trust with subordinates and motivate them to give their patients the best care they are able to. They must be able to empower and inspire their employees to excel at their jobs. They must create and nurture a team environment where each team member is fully and systematically supported.
3. Written, Verbal and Nonverbal Communication Skills
Hospital administrators must be discreet and empathetic in dealing with patients; they must be diplomatic in dealing with colleagues and mediating conflicts that arise; and they must be skilled in negotiating a broad variety of agreements contracts. They must be able to articulate their healthcare facility's policies to new staff members and ensure that the healthcare professionals they work with adhere to all applicable laws and industry best practices.
4. Organizational Abilities
A healthcare administrator is responsible for organizing just about every aspect of a healthcare facility's day-to-day operations. This can include everything from maintaining an organized work schedule to overseeing the organization and maintenance of huge numbers of patients' health records. The healthcare administrator must have both big-picture organizational systems thinking skills plus an eye for managing small details.
5. Integrity and Personal Responsibility
Healthcare administrators hold the responsibility for many patients' lives in their hands. The role demands extreme levels of integrity and personal responsibility. They must demand ethical behavior from all their associates, from the physicians and nurses on their staff to the pharmaceutical and insurance company representatives their facilities do business with.
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If you already possess these five unique characteristics, a career in healthcare administration is almost certain to be a good fit for your personality. If you don't, do not despair; it is possible that you could develop these characteristics if you earn your degree in healthcare administration and seek the support of mentors who are already working in the healthcare industry. Some of the skills on this list, including logical abilities, communication skills and leadership abilities, can be developed if you make an effort to work at them. An excellent degree program in healthcare administration can help you to develop the skills and qualifications you need to become a successful healthcare administrator.
