INQUIRY

Career Profile
Prospect for Success Paper # 2

Submitted to
Ms. Riter
Belk College of Business
UNC Charlotte

Submitted by
Kayla Tucker
BUSN 1101-H01
November 24, 2015

My original intent when I enrolled in college was to graduate with a nursing degree and
eventually go to graduate school to go into healthcare administration. This quickly changed
when I realized business was a better for my career path. With that being said, prior to this paper,
I had done minimal research on my exact career and more on a general career field. I would like
to one day be a healthcare executive, also known as a healthcare administrator. The possibilities
are endless within this career path and I have learned a great deal about my opportunities once I
enter the field as well as what I need to do and expect as I get there.
Healthcare executives have numerous roles within their organizations. The main
responsibility is general management within the facility to create a successful company or
business. They are responsible to plan, direct, and coordinate the services provided by the
healthcare facility, specifically within their department. Along with the general purpose of
management in all business settings, healthcare executives are responsible to improve the
efficiency of the company and the quality of services given. They are also in charge of keeping
employees up to date on the ever changing laws within healthcare. These include labor laws,
privacy laws, working condition requirements, and treatment laws laid out by governing
healthcare bodies. Another duty of healthcare administrators is the management of finances.
Within healthcare this includes insurance payments, personal billing, payroll, and all other
expenses of the facility. Creating work schedules is another vital part of this position. Staffing
and management of hours corresponding with the needs of the facility at different times is a
major part of this. This can be seen when an assisted living facility only needs 7 workers at night
while residents are sleeping versus 12 during the day when residents are up and about. Keeping
of organizational records is another portion of this job. Overall, this career includes making sure

communication is clear between all departments as well as coordinating with the needs of the
facility.
Working conditions for a healthcare executive include a variety of settings. Thirty nine
percent of all healthcare executives work in a hospital setting. Twenty six percent work in
ambulatory healthcare services. Eleven percent work within nursing and residential care
facilities. Most jobs held with the title of healthcare executive work full time within these
facilities. Even within these facilities, they typically have offices from which they work. There is
a close communication between the office work and patient care.
The education of a healthcare executive includes at least a bachelors degree. Nursing
departmental heads within healthcare often hold these degrees in nursing, while the typical
department head holds a degree in business. They are required to continue education with
courses in hospital organization and management, accounting, finance, and healthcare
administration. After a couple years, to allow for career growth, often people go back to graduate
school to receive MBAs and Healthcare Administration degrees. These programs take 2 to 3
years, which is typically followed by a year of supervised administrative experience. Important
characteristics within this career field include analytical, communication, interpersonal, problem
solving, and technical skills. They are also typically very detailed oriented. Another qualification
that is very important is all healthcare executives within nursing career fields must have a license
to work in that field. These licenses vary by state. Overall, there are many skills and
qualifications needed to work in healthcare administrative positions.
Earnings, advancement, and outlooks are important part in choosing any career field. The
average earning of a healthcare administrator is $88,580 a year in 2012 or a little over $42.00 an
hour. The top ten percent earn over $150,560 a year, while the bottom 10 percent earns less than

$53,940 a year. These salaries correlate directly with the size of the facility they are working at.
The larger facilities such as hospitals typically pay more because they have greater
responsibilities. There are also chances for career growth in hospitals because you can advance
from assistant administrator to a top administrator over time. The outlook for a healthcare
executive is much faster than normal at twenty three percent.
Overall, I have learned a lot about my future career, and I am more excited now than I
was previously. I look forward to working as a healthcare administrator and excelling within the
field.

REFERENCES
American College of Healthcare Executives., & PSSI (Firm). (1985). Healthcare executive.
Chicago, IL: Foundation of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

EBSCO Publishing (Firm). (2001). Managed healthcare executive. Duluth, MN: Advanstar
Communications Inc.

Miller, R. K., Washington, K. D., & Richard K. Miller & Associates,. (2013). Healthcare
business market research handbook 2013-2014.

Swift, E. K., & Institute of Medicine (U.S.). (2002). Guidance for the national healthcare
disparities report. Washington, D.C: National Academies Press.

Summary. (n.d.). Retrieved November 24, 2015, from

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm