14 Pros and Cons of Being a Healthcare Administrator

Healthcare administrators are essential staff members who earn high salaries to take on multi-faceted roles.

America’s hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and in-patient care facilities are run by highly skilled administrative professionals who manage their staff, and operations, and keep local healthcare systems running smoothly.

Our guide provides a brief overview of the career and details of becoming a healthcare administrator in the US.

Learn more about the pros and cons of working as a Healthcare Administrator in the comprehensive guide below.

What Is a Healthcare Administrator?

The BLS lists Healthcare Administrators as “Medical and Health Services Managers.”

These high-paid Hospital Administrators are responsible for directing, planning, and coordinating medical services and staff in a variety of clinical environments.

Healthcare Administrator Job Duties

• Managing Clinical Staff
• Developing Hospital and Clinical Budgets
• Ensuring Regulatory Compliance
• Implementing and Enforcing Policy and Procedure
• Improving the Quality of Patient Care
• Managing Patient Care Services and Operations

The tasks above represent only a fraction of what today’s Healthcare Administrators do to keep our burgeoning and overflowing healthcare systems on track.

Aspiring Healthcare Admins will need a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in health, sciences, or a related discipline along with top industry certifications like the CHA to become Medical Administrators in the US.

The following agencies certify Administrators in the US.

• American College of Healthcare Executives
  Certification: Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE)
• Professional Association of Healthcare Office Management
  Certification: Certified Medical Manager (CMM)
• National Association of Long-Term Care Administrator Boards
  Certification(s): Nursing Home Administrator (NHA), Assisted Living Administrator (RCAL), Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS)

Skills Needed for Success in Healthcare Administration

Leadership and Decision-Making Skills

Medical Administrators are often the first line of defense for clinical patients and staff.

Working in the role means that administrators must have strong leadership and decision-making skills to lead their teams and cohorts effectively.

Excellent Communication Skills

The nature of this career requires communication with key health officials, healthcare regulators, healthcare employees, patients, and top staff members.

Healthcare Admins must have above-average communication skills to convey messages to key decision-makers and stakeholders while handling sensitive medical information and details tactfully.

Organizational Skills

Organizational skills are a must-have for Healthcare Managers who manage a variety of different tasks in their role.

Top administrators must be able to organize sensitive healthcare data, employee data, facility data, and regulatory compliance data with little room for error which requires above-average project management and organizational skills.

Analytical Skills

Being able to assess facility performance metrics, employee performance metrics, patient care metrics, and regulatory compliance metrics are key components of this role.

Clinical Managers must be able to quickly analyze data, assess performance, and implement policies and procedures to enhance critical metrics and improve operational efficiency and performance.

Pros of Being a Healthcare Administrator

1. Direct Impact on Healthcare Systems and Community

One of the upsides of working as a Clinical Administrator is having the opportunity to directly impact the lives of patients and families who rely on their skills.

Administrators implement and provide oversight for key initiatives that drive the healthcare systems and policies for the facilities they manage.

2. Diverse Work Environments

Highly sought-after Healthcare Administrators have the opportunity to choose their work environments within a variety of healthcare facilities that can include hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, government agencies, educational institutions, and private healthcare facilities.

The fact that their role is in such high demand allows them to choose their most desired work environment based on personal preferences.

3. Job Stability and Growth Potential

America’s BLS reports an above-average demand for Healthcare Administrators for the future.

This means that incoming and existing administrators have high levels of job stability and growth potential as their skills are needed across the healthcare industry and their demand is expected to grow by as much as 29% over the next few years, according to the BLS.

4. Unlimited Opportunities for Career Advancement

Healthcare Managers with years of experience who excel in their roles have unlimited opportunities for advancement into even more complex and higher-paying roles.

Qualified administrators can easily transition into the role of Chief Executive Officer or Chief Operating Officer within the facilities they manage.

5. Extremely High Earning Potential

Today’s Healthcare Administrators make much higher median salaries than many of their medical counterparts.

The average salary for administrators is over $100,000.00 per year and includes the potential for increased earnings with years of experience in the role and additional training for specialized or executive positions within America’s healthcare facilities.

6. Intellectual and Emotional Reward for Well-Performing Admins

Health Facility Administrators often experience high levels of job satisfaction and emotional rewards as they make direct impacts on the well-being of the patients, employees, and community members who rely on their expertise and health management skills to keep local facilities operating smoothly.

7. Highly Respected Career Role

Today’s Healthcare Administrators work in highly respected roles where employees, medical facilities, and patients rely on their keen decision-making, organizational skills, and ability to handle a complex multi-faceted role while making few mistakes.

Hospitals, clinics, and medical teams often see their facility administrators as fearless leaders and have high levels of respect for their roles in healthcare administration.

Cons of Being a Healthcare Administrator

1. Working in High-Stress Environments and Demanding Career Roles

A major downside of working as a Healthcare Administrator is the high levels of stress that can accompany this role.

Managing the financial, emotional, and medical well-being of patients, staff, and community members can take a toll on administrators working in large hospitals and medical facilities where mistakes can be life-threatening.

2. Working Long and Irregular Hours

Ensuring that the facilities they manage are in tip-top shape often means that facility administrators work well beyond their scheduled shifts to achieve these goals.

Medical facility managers typically work long hours which can include days, nights, evenings, and weekends.

They also remain on call to respond to healthcare facility and medical emergencies which can take a physical and mental toll on their health and well-being over time.

3. Complex and Multi-Faceted Role Can Lead to High Stress

Taking on the role of a Healthcare Facility Manager also means taking on a career where complexity, high regulation, and high stress levels are the norm.

Today’s facility managers must possess a high level of discipline, resilience, and emotional stability to avoid becoming overwhelmed in this multi-faceted role which is mentally, physically, and emotionally demanding with little room for error.

4. Regulatory and Compliance Challenges

Ensuring legal compliance with medical regulations and rules is one of the key job duties of today’s Health Administrators.

Navigating policies and regulations is a complex task that can require hours of research and take an emotional toll when the facilities they manage fall out of compliance with key mandates.

5. Mentally, Physically, and Emotionally Challenging Work

Working as a medical facility manager is a high-stress career that can take a noticeable physical, mental, and emotional toll on overwhelmed and overworked Healthcare Managers over time.

Consistently managing emergency medical crises, balancing budgets, and ensuring legal and regulatory compliance while maintaining confidentiality for medical and employee records can cause some facility managers to feel overwhelmed and burned out.

6. Limited Face-to-Face Patient Interaction

Even though Clinical Managers work in some of America’s top patient care facilities, the one-to-one time spent with individual patients is limited.

Administrators seeking to make a deeper connection with patients by practicing hands-on patient care are often disappointed at the limited amount of interaction they have with the patients and families they work to support.

7. High Level of Responsibility with Little Room for Error

There is little room for error when working as a Healthcare Administrator as even the slightest mistake can be life-threatening for their patients and staff.

Hospital Administrators bear the brunt of responsibility and blame when quality standards fail or patient care procedures go wrong.

Maintaining high levels of responsibility can be overwhelming for some administrators over time.

Pros and Cons of Being a Healthcare Administrator – Summary Table

Pros of Being a Healthcare Administrator	Cons of Being a Healthcare Administrator
1. Direct Impact on Healthcare Systems and Community	1. Working in High-Stress Environments and Demanding Career Roles
2. Diverse Work Environments	2. Working Long and Irregular Hours
3. Job Stability and Growth Potential	3. Complex and Multi-Faceted Role Can Lead to High Stress
4. Unlimited Opportunities for Career Advancement	4. Regulatory and Compliance Challenges
5. Extremely High Earning Potential	5. Mentally, Physically, and Emotionally Challenging Work
6. Intellectual and Emotional Reward for Well-Performing Admins	6. Limited Face-to-Face Patient Interaction
7. Highly Respected Career Role	7. High Level of Responsibility with Little Room for Error

Should You Become a Healthcare Administrator?

Now that you have some insights into the daily job duties and expectations of Healthcare Administrators, have you decided if starting a career in Healthcare Administration is the right pathway for you?

Consider your answers to some of the following questions before taking the next steps of learning about educational training programs for healthcare administration.

• Are you comfortable working in leadership roles where high stress is the norm?
• Do you have a knack for decision-making, analysis, and managing large groups?
• Can you handle the challenges of research and ensuring regulatory compliance for managing a healthcare facility?
• Are you willing to gain the education, training, and certifications required to become a healthcare administrator?
• Are you comfortable with leadership roles, making high-stakes decisions, and managing complex healthcare systems?

If the answers to the questions above are a resounding “yes” and you have strong organizational, and leadership skills, and high emotional resilience, becoming a Healthcare Administrator could be the ideal career for you!

Take the next steps to research and explore campus-based and online programs offering healthcare administration training and education as the next step in your journey.

Sources

American College of Healthcare Executives
https://www.ache.org/

Professional Association of Healthcare Office Management
https://my.pahcom.com/

National Association of Long-Term Care Administrator Boards
https://www.nabweb.org/home

Healthcare Occupations Overview – BLS
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm