Healthcare Administration Online: Is it Right For Me?
With hundreds of hospital staff and thousands of patients, managing a healthcare facility demands a gift of organization and a keen eye. If you have such capabilities, then you should consider pursuing a career in healthcare administration. This field is growing quickly, and a variety of administrative positions is opening up. Here are some reasons why individuals are attracted to the field of healthcare administration.
Emotional and Moral Benefits
Some jobs don’t give workers the emotional and moral satisfaction they need. However, a healthcare administration career offers rich opportunities for personal growth, leadership, and service. As a healthcare administrator, you will make positive impacts by enacting policies that will ensure that the healthcare organization operates with the patients’ interests in mind.
High Salary
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts that jobs in the healthcare administration will grow above the national average by 20 percent by the year 2026. Additionally, the median pay for a medical and health services manager is $96,540. Of course, you won’t start out making this salary, but over time, you can earn your way up the career ladder.
You can continue your Education
While you can enter the healthcare administration field with only a bachelor’s degree, you can pursue a Master of Health Administration (MHA) degree to open up new opportunities and increase your earning potential. Additionally, there are other continuing education programs available. For instance, the ACHE (American College of Healthcare Executives) that offers seminars, book recommendations, self-study courses and more to help healthcare administrators to expand their management expertise and general knowledge base.
Overcoming Online Learning Barriers
The ability to pursue degree courses online has made it possible for most students who would otherwise not be able to do so. However, while online degrees have some benefits, they also have some challenges, especially to those who are new to it. Some of the most common downsides of online learning include lack of engagement, poor time management, and a sense of isolation from both peers and teachers. Here are a few tips on how to overcome these issues in your online education.
Familiarize Yourself
All online classrooms make use of web-based technologies to host discussions, present lessons, receive student assignments and administer tests. However, universities use different sets of tools for their online courses. Therefore, to understand how your virtual classroom works, begin by familiarizing yourself with the interfaces that you’ll be using.
Online schools also offer orientation courses that are generally designed to teach students how to:
- Download materials
- Contribute in discussion forums
- Control video playback
- Submit assignments
- Take tests
Connecting with Your Classmates
Creating relationships with other students will enhance your learning experience. Therefore, take your time to meet your fellow students in online discussions. Most classes allow or even require you to post a brief bio about yourself. When you are assigned to a research partner or a group project, you can work together effectively if you take your time to know each other. In case most of your interactions are online, be conscious of your phrasing and tone to avoid miscommunication.
Managing Your Flexible Schedule
Online degrees offer you the flexibility you need to pursue your degree. However, the same flexibility that enables you to squeeze a healthcare administration course also makes you responsible for time management. As an online student without arbitrary class schedules, you should determine how long it will take to complete each lesson and how you can fit those classroom hours in your weekly schedule.
In case time management is a major challenge to you, don’t worry, from wall calendars to mobile scheduling apps, you can make use of several tools to help you succeed. The secret is to identify the method that is most comfortable and effective for you.
Healthcare administration covers different job opportunities from working for a health network or hospital to overseeing a research facility or long-term care facility. Therefore, as you pursue your online healthcare administration degree, you should be prepared for a comprehensive, focused and practical program.
Are you considering an online degree in healthcare administration? If you want to earn a Bachelor of Science Degree in Health Science with an emphasis in Healthcare Administration, ECPI University offers this degree in an online format. With an accelerated schedule, you could earn your bachelors in as little as 2.5 years. For more information, learn more by connecting with a helpful admissions counselor.
It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!
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Gainful Employment Information – Healthcare Administration - Bachelor’s
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