Healthcare is a rapidly growing industry that offers exciting opportunities. The population is growing older, and they require high-quality care. Therefore, new hospitals and healthcare facilities are popping up to meet the demand. More competent and experienced administrators are also required to smoothly operate the new healthcare facilities and ensure the provision of good quality care to all patients.
Hospital administrators are crucial for the smooth functioning of any healthcare facility. They manage all the daily operations and finances of their healthcare facility. Overall, healthcare administration is a rewarding job as you get to make a living while improving the healthcare facilities in your community.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree, most hospital administrators choose to pursue a master’s or higher degree. An advanced degree can make you eligible for more job roles and provide you with better opportunities. Moreover, an advanced degree can also increase your marketability. However, if you are wondering whether health care administration is the right career for you or not, go through this article.
In this article, we are going to discuss some frequently asked questions to consider before pursuing a healthcare administration degree.
- How long does it take to complete a degree in healthcare administration?
The timeline for a healthcare administration degree can vary. Students can pursue their health administration degree online or on campus. Moreover, they also have the option to study full-time or part-time. Most full-time bachelor’s degrees in healthcare administration are four years long. However, a part-time degree can take even longer.
Some students choose to gain work experience after a bachelor’s degree, while others enroll in a master’s degree program. A master’s in healthcare administration can be two years or longer based on whether you pursue a full-time or part-time study option. Some students continue their studies to pursue a Ph.D. in healthcare administration, often for research purposes. Overall, it can take almost six years to graduate with a master’s degree in healthcare administration, often a requirement for professional job roles.
- What is the job description of a healthcare administrator?
Healthcare administrators are the primary operators of a healthcare facility. They manage the daily tasks in a healthcare setting to ensure its smooth running and design strategies to improve the healthcare facility in the future. The role of a healthcare administrator can differ, but most beginner level healthcare administrators perform the following duties;
- Recruiting competent healthcare workers
- Coordinating the schedules of the staff
- Making a budget and managing finance
- Maintaining patient health records
- Ensuring that the facility complies with all federal and state laws
Healthcare administrators working in the government are more focused on designing efficient and effective healthcare policies and rarely have any administrative duties. Moreover, the healthcare administrators promoted to a higher rank also have different job roles, like developing long-term goals for the facility and taking the required steps to reach those goals.
- What are the career prospects after graduating with a healthcare administration degree?
Healthcare administrators have an excellent career outlook with a competitive salary. According to the bureau of labor statistics, employment for health service managers is projected to grow almost 32% in the next decade, with 51,800 job openings each year. The average salary for a health service manager in 2021 is $101,340 per year.
A healthcare administration degree provides a variety of opportunities. You can work in different job roles and various institutes. For example, you can work as a nursing home administrator, clinical research manager, health information manager, assistant health manager, and hospital administrator. Moreover, you can be eligible to work at a hospital, nursing home, private clinic, government research labs, and more.
- What are the skills required to pursue a healthcare administration degree?
Healthcare administrators must possess specific skills that are necessary for their job. For example, they should be detail-oriented. They should have impeccable communication skills, leadership skills, and problem-solving skills.
Moreover, they should also be aware of the healthcare laws in the country. Technological proficiency and business expertise are additional skills. Sometimes, pursuing a healthcare administration degree will equip you with all these skills. However, it is recommended to sincerely speculate whether you have the skills to become a healthcare administrator.
- How much does it cost to earn a healthcare administration degree?
Degree costs can vary based on the university of your choice and several other factors. Most top-ranked universities charge higher tuition fees than their counterparts. A four-year bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration can cost almost $51,090.
A master’s degree is almost always required for professional job roles in the healthcare industry. Therefore, pursuing a master’s can cost somewhere between $4,000 to $10,000, according to the college navigator. Overall, you can add the tuition fees of your chosen degrees to estimate the total cost of pursuing a degree in healthcare administration.
Various scholarships and grants are also available for efficient and competent students.
The Bottom Line
Healthcare administration is the backbone of any healthcare facility. Healthcare administrators manage the daily operations and long-term goals of a healthcare facility. Their primary goal is to design and implement effective strategies to improve the healthcare sector. If you are wondering whether to pursue a career in healthcare administration or not, then answer the FAQs in this article to decide for yourself.
Questions like the total cost and career prospects of the degree, the skills required to pursue the degree, the timeline, and the job roles of a healthcare administrator can help you make an informed decision. Hopefully, this article will help you answer the FAQs that you must consider before pursuing a healthcare administration degree.