Research Assessment #4

Date: ​October 10th, 2019

Subject: ​Healthcare Administration

MLA Citation:

Cyprus, Jenna. “ 7 skills you must have to be a great Hospital Administrator.”

HealthWorksCollective, ​7 March 2019,

http://www.healthworkscollective.com/jennacyprus/333819/7-skills-you-must-ha

ve-be-great-hospital-administrator

Assessment:

The primary role of hospitals is to administer quality care, but, behind the scenes,

hospitals are large institutions that run like any big business. That’s why successful hospital

administrators must combine a passion for the well-being of patients with management skills.

When I came across an article by Jenna Cyprus who has published an article regarding the 7

skills you should have in order to be a successful healthcare administrator, I felt like this was a

perfect opportunity to learn how to be successful in your job and helpful tips that can aid a

person into further nurturing their career.

From my last research assessment to this one I changed the focus of my research topic

from Healthcare Management to Healthcare Administration. I read many articles and was always

mislead that healthcare management and healthcare administration was the same. This is a

common misconception because both career choices are slightly different. Healthcare
Management includes management of staff, budgeting, development of processes,

communication across leadership teams, and other varied tasks. Healthcare Administration can

also include creating processes and policies that affect staff. Depending on the role, those in

healthcare administration can work directly with patients, as well. Since I’m more interested in

working with people, I changed my mind and chose to pursue Healthcare Administration.

Of the seven tips I learned from the article the three that caught my attention were

passion, critical thinking, and communication. Passion is one of the key aspects of not only

healthcare but many other jobs. This skill helped me ensure I have that passion for this job

because I’ve always had the self motivation to help people and when I was younger I thought I

could only do that through becoming a doctor but with further research, junior year I realized I

can work with the behind the scenes of hospitals for example budgeting, ordering medical

supplies and maintaining employee records. Another significant skill that should be acquired

when pursuing a Healthcare Administrator is critical thinking. You need to learn to make quick

and effective decisions on the spot. When you work in hospitals they always run on busy

schedules and when there’s an emergency in technology or supplies they look up to you and you

should know what actions to take. You should be able to find the strengths and weaknesses of the

situation, and develop solutions that will actually work. Lastly, the most vital skill needed for

Healthcare Administration is communication. An administrator is the bridge between the medical

workers and everyone else. They need to be able to talk to the doctors on different plans and

ideas to implement as well as their managing directors on how to make the hospitals flow better.

They also occasionally need to be able to talk to patients and give them a better understanding of
what’s happening in certain situations. Being social and communication go hand in hand because

you have to be able to be social to communicate easily.

Overall, I learned a few skills that I should strengthen in order to become a more

successful Healthcare Administrator. This is really helpful because in ISM, when I go to my

mentor interviews I can get an idea of the skillsets they embody as well the skills I can work on

in the future during my mentor visits. Some of these skills sets match my personality which I

find really motivation for example communication matched my social personality which makes it

much more enjoyable in the future. This article especially aided me in my ISM journey because

during professional visits I can ask them what skillsets they think I should have that can help me

become more successful.

7 Skills You Must Have to 
be a Great Hospital 
Administrator 
Being a hospital administrator is not an easy job. It’s highly demanding 
and stressful. A hospital is much more than a place to go for medical care. It’s 
also a business that needs someone to oversee the day-to-day operations. 
That’s where a hospital administrator comes in.​ They act as a liaison between 
the medical staff and governing boards, organize medical and health services, 
hire new personnel, plan the budget, participate in fundraising, assist in 
quality assurance for patients, and so much more.​ On top of it all, 
administrators must have a good education. 
Being a hospital administrator is not an easy job. It’s highly demanding 
and stressful. A hospital is much more than a place to go for medical care. ​It’s 
also a business that needs someone to oversee the day-to-day operations. 
That’s where a hospital administrator comes in. They act as a liaison between 
the medical staff and governing boards, organize medical and health services, 
hire new personnel, plan the budget, participate in fundraising, assist in 
quality assurance for patients, and so much more. On top of it all, 
administrators must have a good education. They can b
​ egin with an 
associates​, but if they want to reach full administrator stage, most hospitals 
require a master’s degree or higher. 
 As you can see, this career involves a lot of responsibility. It’s easier to 
handle the pressure, however, if you have a few key ​personality traits that can 
help you smooth each individual situation and act as an authority in any given 
crisis. B
​ eing a hospital administrator is about more than being knowledgeable 
in the field of medicine, it’s also about being able to lead. 
Those looking to pursue a degree in medical administration should work on 
honing a few of the following skills. 
1. C
​ ritical Thinking 
Leaders in healthcare s​ hould be independent thinkers​ who can understand 
the ​current medical market and bring in solutions to help with adaptation​. 
They can focus on a single problem at a time, gather information regarding 
the strengths and weaknesses of the situation, and develop solutions that will 
actually work. 
2. Leadership 
Healthcare administrators will often be in​ charge of staff meetings and 
enacting policies.​ If they want their personnel to attend, listen attentively, and 
commit to the new regulations, they’ll need to stand as the authority in the 
room. Likewise, a good leader in this field will know how to accept blame 
gracefully and shift from making excuses to projecting solutions. 
3. P
​ assion 
Because of the high-stress nature of the job and the need for a​ motivating 
presence, passion for the organization and purpose is critical. ​A healthcare 
administrator who l​ ets their passion show​ can motivate those around them to 
be the best possible.  
4. Accountability 
Quality assurance in healthcare is arguably the most important aspect of any 
medically-related business. For that reason, administrators must develop a 
standard of accountability that they hold themselves to, as well as those 
around them.​ There should always be benchmarks to demonstrate progress. 
5. C
​ ommunication 
Both written and oral communication skills are vital. ​An administrator is the 
liaison between the medical workers and everyone else. They must be able to 
present well-written reports to the governing board and submit press 
releases to the public. S
​ omeone always has an eye on these operations, and 
communication is the best way​ to keep all interested parties on the same 
page. 
6. Flexibility and Adaptability 
It’s essential for administration to work well with their organization, no matter 
how different they are. They m
​ ust fit in with the goals and visions of the 
company in order to further those objectives.​ In addition, the skill of flexibility 
can be used to show competence and confidence. 
7. Professional Judgment 
There’s a certain amount of maturity and decision-making that comes with 
this job.​ A hospital administrator makes most of the decisions, but they also 
take responsibility for the successes and failures that result. ​This is one of the 
heaviest duties of administrators, and those with strong character and 
excellent judgment will be able to gracefully handle the immense pressure of 
the position.