Professional Action Plan Essay

I am a firm believer that in order to best choose what to do with your life, you must first know who you are in life. Self-awareness can help create a happy, balanced, and fulfilled existence on a personal and professional level. This can equate to success on both sides of the spectrum. HCS/449, Health Care Capstone has helped me understand this statistic more clearly and it will be etched in my psyche for years to come. I will aim to expand on this knowledge of self and how I may effectively convey it to the world around me; specifically the world of health care on a management level. I am a: hard worker, high performer, fast past learner, self-starter, team player, and work well under pressure. I am a motivator by choice and possess keen communication skills. I was lastly employed in the health care industry in 2010, to pursuit a BSHA and will return to the industry as a more valuable asset. My extreme passion is sometimes misread as aggression and I am strategically learning to control my passion to fit my environment. The objective of this essay is to answer: what my professional goals are, what job I plan to have in the health care sector, what skills I currently have for this job, which skills I need to change or alter, my plan for ultimately achieving my professional goals, what professional organizations can help me achieve these goals, and what benefit does the career action plan outline? Professional Goals The health care industry is one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing industries. I am eager to return back to it, for it is one that I love.† Employment of medical and health services managers is expected to grow by 22 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average for all occupations.†(Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012) At a minimum I seek to obtain a career in health care administration on a management level and ultimately work my way towards executive leadership. My sights are set high because I would like to make a difference in the industry and I feel that I am highly capable of being a good steward in the capacity that I seek to serve. Job Interests There are so many jobs that interest me in the health care industry on a management level. Medical and health services managers also called healthcare executives or healthcare administrators, plan, direct, and coordinate medical and health services. They might manage an entire facility or specialize in managing a specific clinical area or department, or manage a medical practice for a group of physicians. As healthcare changes, medical and health services managers must be able to adapt to changes in laws, regulations, and technology. Upon conducting an assessment of self, I realized that I enjoy making a positive difference in the life of others , being a voice of reason, and an advocate for identified much needed change. That result has led me to the decision of wanting to be a source of knowledge and advocate within the health care industry, taking on a managerial role in any aspect to make a difference. I would like to take on an active role of accountability and assist in bringing about positive change for the consumers and stakeholders alike. Accountability is defined as â€Å"the act of accepting ownership for the results or the lack thereof† (Sullivan & Decker, 2005, p. 144). † Accountability in health care encompasses the procedures and processes by which health care leadership justifies and takes responsibility for its activities such as achieving various organizational goals. Health care providers and officials are constantly striving to improve quality and efficiency in health care by using performance management systems and quality improvement initiatives. Creating and maintaining a culture of accountability in health care is important because accountability is the reason for measuring and improving performance towards the aim of rendering quality, efficient health care.† (O’Hagan & Persaud, 2009) Skills I have a broad range of health care services skills afforded to me by the United States Air Force with a job occupation of 4A071, Health Services Management Craftsman. â€Å"The occupation description from service file for 4A071: Manages health services activities. Plans, develops, manages, and performs health services activities. General Duties and Responsibilities: Performs resource management functions.† (Verification of Military Experience and Training, 2010) I have been trained to perform duties in support of patient services activities to include: admission and disposition procedures, outpatient and inpatient records functions, medical terminology, inpatient unit administration, appointment booking systems, managed care programs, third party liability, medical air evacuation of patients, and information management skills to name a few. In addition I have management and supervisory experience in each capacity. All of my previous skills go hand in hand with the information being afforded to me in the University of Phoenix, BSHA program. Needed Skills Medical and health services managers typically need at least a bachelor’s degree to enter the occupation. Prospective medical and health services managers have a bachelor’s degree in health administration. These programs prepare students for higher level management jobs than programs that graduate students with other degrees. In addition to education other needed qualities consist of: analytical skills, communication skills, interpersonal skills, problem-solving skills, technical skills, and be detail oriented. I truly feel that I possess these much needed skills and excel at them although there is always room for improvement on every level. The only credential I seem to lack is a BSHA in hand. However, I am well on my way to achieving this personal and professional goal that I have chosen and set for myself. My expected time of graduation is May 2013. Ultimate Plan My plan for ultimately achieving my professional goal is to complete the BSHA program at University of Phoenix and be able to meet the minimum education requirements of qualifying to become a health care manager. I will continue on with my education and pursue a MHA to bring about more opportunities and expand my health care knowledge because I feel that it is necessary to advance. I would like to remain current with policies, procedures, and health care laws to bring my best into any organization that affords me the opportunity to be a part of their establishment. I will also seek out professional organizations that can help me achieve my professional goals by way of networking and mentorship. Partnerships are vital in succeeding in the health care industry and I understand that now. I am now curious about joining the American Council for Health Care Executives (ACHE). I think this organization could definitely help me in achieving my professional goals. I think I would also be a valuable asset to their professional organization as well. Action Plan Outline Initially, I was perturbed by the idea of having to complete a career action plan outline, but in all honest it helped. It served as a writing guide and helped shape what I wanted to say. It also served as some sort of SWOT analysis. It highlighted my strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to selecting a career that I identified as seeming right for me. Conclusion This assignment was highly effective. My career goals have been set and my career action plan is complete. I know what I have done, what I can do, what I want to do, and what I need to do. I have been equipped with the necessary tools and knowledge of making my dreams a reality. I have some immediate goals, and some long term goals. They are all a work in progress but well within reach. Achievement starts with me. References Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Medical and Health Services Managers, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm (visited August 13, 2013). DD Form 2586 (2010) Verification of Military Experience and Training O’Hagan J. & Persaud D. (2009) Creating a Culture of Accountability in Health Care Retrieved from http://www.nursingcenter.com/lnc/static?pageid=935642 Sullivan, E. & Decker, P. (2005). Effective leadership and management in nursing (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.