I work to advance the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the rights of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Congress and regulatory agencies on healthcare issues affecting nurses and the public.
CAREER
Medical and Health Services Managers
Overview
Salary Median (2020)
$104,280
Projected Job Growth (2019-2029)
+31.5% (much faster than the average)
Most Common Level of Education
Bachelor's degree
Career
Roadtrip Nation Leaders in This Career
What Medical and Health Services Managers Do
Plan, direct, or coordinate medical and health services in hospitals, clinics, managed care organizations, public health agencies, or similar organizations.
Other Job Titles Medical and Health Services Managers May Have
Clinical Director, Health Information Management Corporate Director, Health Information Management Director, Health Manager, Mental Health Program Manager, Nurse Manager, Nursing Director
How Leaders Describe a Typical Day at Work
My day-to-day involves writing policies and procedures, organizational strategy, meetings, phone calls, and emails.
Tasks & Responsibilities May Include
- Develop and maintain computerized record management systems to store and process data, such as personnel activities and information, and to produce reports.
- Direct, supervise and evaluate work activities of medical, nursing, technical, clerical, service, maintenance, and other personnel.
- Direct or conduct recruitment, hiring, and training of personnel.
- Develop and implement organizational policies and procedures for the facility or medical unit.
- Conduct and administer fiscal operations, including accounting, planning budgets, authorizing expenditures, establishing rates for services, and coordinating financial reporting.
Education
Level of Education Attained by Medical and Health Services Managers
Most common level of education among people in
this career: Bachelor's degree (32%)
Some college, no degree
Bachelor's degree
Master's degree
Other*
*All other responses combined for clarity.
Majors Related to Career
Educational Paths Suggested by Leaders
Suggested Path
High School
Bachelor
Applied Psychology
Graduate
Applied Psychology
Certification / License
Suggested Path
Bachelor
Human Resources Development
Graduate
Applied Behavior Analysis
Certification / License
Applied Behavior Analysis
Additional Skills & Experiences That Can Help You Excel
Emotional support, the ability to be ready at a moments notice for any situation, and good listening and communication skills.
I started learning time management and organization skills from a young age because I was one of seven siblings. Both of these skills have helped greatly throughout my life and career. You also need to have a collaborative leadership style if you want to work in community health. We can only accomplish our goals if we allow the community to collaborate and contribute.
Getting Started
Recommended First Step for:
High School Students
I would recommend that they try to get a job or volunteer at a hospital, doctor's office, or health insurance company to really learn the administrative and business side of health care. See if it is something that they want to do. I would also recommend contacting people in the career field, like myself, who they can sit down and have a cup of coffee with and ask questions. I would talk to multiple people to get an idea of what this career is like and to explore the different opportunities.
Go volunteer at the hospital. That's the easiest way because the hospital doesn't pay you but if you go and participate in their volunteer program, you get to actually interact with their patients and staff, and you get to see the inner workings of the hospital. Afterwards, you can then figure out if this is something you would like to do. You get to watch different people doing different jobs so you can figure out what you might like.
Nursing is a great path. However, if nursing isn't for you, there are many other entry points into this field. Consider the other things you're passionate about then think about how you can turn that into a healthcare career. For example, if you're interested in surgery, you can become a surgical tech. If you're interested in human resources, look into HR assistant positions at a medical organization. There are also entry points through IT and marketing. Healthcare doesn't just mean clinical!
Focus and stay in school. Build confidence and always believe in yourself.
College Students
Everyone
This page includes information from theO*NET 26.1 Databaseby the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under theCC BY 4.0license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
