Learning is a Life-Long Process: Professional Development of Healthcare Managers

We have all heard the saying “learning is a life-long process.” This is especially true in today’s complex and challenging healthcare environment. Recently there has been high interest regarding the importance of professional development or continuing education for healthcare managers. Although most professional groups within healthcare fields require at least some minimum level of CE activities in order to maintain a minimum level of competency for practice, continued licensure, and re-certification, there is no formal requirement that healthcare management executives obtain CE. However, based on a nationally representative survey of hospital CEOs, conducted in 2009 by Stephen Walston and Amir Khaliq, it was found that a majority of hospital CEOs viewed CE as being increasing important and on average, obtained about 45 hours of CE each year. Although the reasons for seeking CE are varied, the participating hospital CEOs reported that their primary reasons for seeking CE were (1) to understand the changes occurring within the field, (2) to stay current with new developments, and, (3) as a way to solve problems.

 

Professional growth and development is critical in healthcare administration. The profession has become more difficult with changing regulations, technological advances, and increased demands. Healthcare organizations must demonstrate constant learning and development of their managers to meet current and future demands to provide accessible, integrated, effective, patient-centered, and error-free health services. Organizations attempt to achieve professional development of their managers through different continuing education means, such as financially supporting formal degree and/or self-study programs, or providing on-site training, skills building workshops, job rotations, and hands-on experiences.

 

Appropriate continuing education and professional development benefit organizations by allowing for individual growth, longer tenure, and planned successions, which all further the entities’ strategic goals.

My colleagues and I recently published our findings regarding the participation of healthcare managers in professional development activities, the reasons for seeking professional development and the perceived support of their organizations. We found that across all settings, position, age, gender and perceived organizational support, individuals seek professional development which suggests that managers recognize the value associated with continuing education and engage in these activities in the absence of employer reimbursement. However, our study’s findings also suggested that women healthcare managers are less likely to pursue professional development activities than their male counterparts even when the outcome is associated with career advancement and salary increases. Further, men are more likely than women to attend multiple continuing education programs when paying out of pocket.

 

The decision to participate in professional development activities is voluntary and therefore intrinsic to the individual’s professional functioning, or professionalism. The appreciation of lifelong learning was identified by Peter Drucker over forty years ago as a characteristic of the knowledge worker, i.e., workers who own the means of production: their own brainpower. The knowledge healthcare manager appreciates that learning and work are not distinct and that success means not only keeping current with developments in the field but also keeping personal knowledge, skills and competencies current through professional development. In addition, healthcare organizations must actively promote, facilitate, and reward the development of their managers. For only with a knowledgeable workforce will healthcare organizations succeed in meeting the healthcare demands of today and in the future.

 

Since most professional development is voluntary, healthcare managers must choose to participate in continuing education activities. This choice to participate is influenced by organizational as well as personal/professional factors. At the macro level, an organization needs to provide the organizational support that facilitates continuous professional development or life-long learning among its managers.

The value an organization places in investing in their employees’ personal and professional development has been shown to be a significant factor why individuals participate in continuing professional education. At the micro level, individuals must value, commit and seek opportunities for personal and professional growth. Professional affiliation and recognition may play a significant role in shaping an individual’s personal values towards professional development. Research has shown that reinforcement by significant others, such as employers and other professionals, of previous professional development is a strong motivator for future development through continuing education activities.

 

With increasing demands to redesign the overall U.S. health delivery system, healthcare leaders must assure that both individuals and organizations possess the requisite traits to adapt and respond. Successful adaptation will require continuous professional and organizational growth. Healthcare managers need to remain current, updating their knowledge, skills and competencies. Likewise, organizations must “learn” to adapt and respond as well as to support the development of managerial staff.