Professional Competencies Required for Health Service Management

This essay describes the professional competencies required to become a successful health service manager. It also evaluates the learning during the degree course and develops an action plan to improve future professional standards.

Running head: HEALTH SERVICE MANAGEMENT
HEALTH SERVICE MANAGEMENT
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Introduction
The health care professionals play an important role in improving the access and
quality of the health care for the population. They are liable to provide the essential services
that promote health and helps in the prevention of the diseases and promote health care
services for the families and the more essentially, the communities. Several professional
competencies are required to become a successful health care profession that is unique to this
profession (Osborne, Radnor & Nasi, 2013). This essay aims to describe about the
professional competencies required to become a successful health service manager. While
reflecting on this I will also evaluate whether my learning during the degree course had been
appropriate and complies with the established professional standard. Finally I would develop
an action plan to improve my future professional standard.
Identification of the professional competencies
Since my aim is to become a successful health service manager, I have always tried to
achieve the core competency skills. Since health care has changed its patterns due to the
change in the disease structure and the rapidly ageing population, the role of the health
service managers have also become challenging and diverse. Health service managers are
responsible for monitoring the health care facilities provided in a clinical care settings, which
includes planning and coordination of the hospital services and overseeing the different
departments (Osborne, Radnor & Nasi, 2013). They are at the heart of the business side of the
health care as they have to look after the budgeting, scheduling and making out innovative
ways to improve patient care. Regardless of the kind of work settings, there is a growing
expectation among all that the service managers should be able to combine various sources

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and incorporate them for a better strategic management of the health care settings (Wager,
Lee & Glaser, 2017).
The core competencies of the health service managers that I have identified are- The
core competencies that are required to become a health service managers are communication
and the relationship management, leadership skills, professionalism, knowledge of the health
care environment and proper business skills and knowledge (Abdelhak, Grostick & Hanken,
2014). Some of the other competency skills that are necessary for this profession are- the
ability to understand the needs, the ability to provide care, the ability to collaborate and the
ability to support decision making.
Reflection on the learning during the degree course
In my academic career of the health service management, I have learnt about a lot
about different competency skills through the course work, classmate and the various types of
learning modules.
Throughout the course there were several learning modules that informed us about the
occupational health, workplace safety, infection control procedures, management of health
and hygiene. I would not have understood the importance of cleanliness and sterilisation
techniques, had I not visited a hospital for doing the internship training. We have also learnt
about the various health care terminologies, about infection control, quality controls, various
types of health care policies, about the equipment and the devices, health care marketing and
study of the comparative health systems.
The course modules have made me understand how patient integrity and privacy are
often breached, especially in the older people and how breaching of the standards can bring a

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health professional under lawsuit and can even lead to the cancellation of the registration ,
how lack of supervision of the health service managers can lead to faulty care.
There had been orientation courses to make the students familiarise with the hospital
ambience. According to Ginter, Duncan & Swayne, (2018), interpersonal relationship
between then educator and the students enhances the learning environment, which I have
received rightfully in my organisation. My educator has given me the necessary autonomy
that has helped me to explore many opportunities such as leading a health care team or taking
responsibilities such as maintaining records for the shortage of the health care equipment or
the performance of the health care workers and then reporting to the higher authorities. The
entrustability between my educator and me has boosted up my confidence on taking clinical
decisions.
The chance to look after the health service management of a true clinical settings and
then reflecting on my experiences had actually helped me to understand how it feels working
with original patients. As stated by Wagner (2014), a kinaesthetic learning experience
stimulates student learning, enhances retention and improves critical thinking in the nursing
students.
Identification of the strengths and weaknesses
My professional learning has helped me to understand some of my weaknesses that
has to be amended in order to become a successful heath service managers. I have learnt that
the ability to communicate with the patients and the workers of diverse cultural background,
their families and the health care professionals helps to build rapport with the health care
professionals and the patients provides them scopes for pointing out the unaddressed
grievances of the patients, employees. I believe that I have to work more hard on my

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interpersonal and the communication skills in order to cater to the organisation. I have also
found that I should work on my leadership skills in order to direct the employees towards the
same shared vision of catering to the public and the organisation. Apart from my
weaknesses, I have also identified some of my strengths, which I believe will be helpful in
my transition of career. I have developed interest in brainstorming through leadership article
published in the business magazines and current medical guidelines which I believe will be of
importance while the continuous improvement of the organisation, My inquisitive mind will
always be on the quest of innovative strategies for improving care to the patients.
Action plan
Based on the limitations pointed out, I have identified some of the strategies that can
be useful in my professional development and indulge me in lifelong learning. Self-
evaluation and self-reflection is an excellent way to assess what we have learnt and what is
left to be learnt. Obtaining feedback from the patients, families and the physicians every now
and often is an excellent way to understand the gaps unaddressed in health care (Birken, Lee
& Weiner, 2012). Looking after the patient satisfaction scores would help us to understand
our limitations. I would also notice my senior managers and learn about the ways to
communicate effectively. Furthermore, I also believe that health service managers should
strive for a continuous development of quality improvement of the organisation, in order to
do that I should engage in continuous learning to remain updated about the new managerial
policies for the provision of care to the community.

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References
Abdelhak, M., Grostick, S., & Hanken, M. A. (2014). Health Information-E-Book:
Management of a Strategic Resource. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Birken, S. A., Lee, S. Y. D., & Weiner, B. J. (2012). Uncovering middle managers' role in
healthcare innovation implementation. Implementation Science, 7(1), 28.
Ginter, P. M., Duncan, W. J., & Swayne, L. E. (2018). The strategic management of health
care organizations. John Wiley & Sons.
Osborne, S. P., Radnor, Z., & Nasi, G. (2013). A new theory for public service management?
Toward a (public) service-dominant approach. The American Review of Public
Administration, 43(2), 135-158.
Wager, K. A., Lee, F. W., & Glaser, J. P. (2017). Health care information systems: a
practical approach for health care management. John Wiley & Sons.
Wagner, E. A. (2014). Using a kinesthetic learning strategy to engage nursing student
thinking, enhance retention, and improve critical thinking. Journal of Nursing
Education, 53(6), 348-351.