Copyright 2011 Health Administration Press
CHAPTER 2The Healthcare Professional• Professionalization• Healthcare Professionals• Nurses• Pharmacists• Allied Health Professionals• Healthcare Administrators• Considerations for Human Resources
Management• The Changing Nature of the Health Professions
Copyright 2011 Health Administration Press
Healthcare Professionals
• As healthcare evolves, more professionals are needed who are empowered to make decisions without direct supervision.
• Functional training teaches personnel to perform tasks but does not teach the theory behind the practice.– Theory is also essential.
• Healthcare workers include practitioners (e.g., doctors, nurses, dentists, physicians’ assistants), administrators, and allied health professionals.
• Healthcare workers are employed in a variety of settings, including hospitals, ambulatory care organizations, pharmaceutical companies, physicians’ offices, research institutes, and more.
Copyright 2011 Health Administration Press
Healthcare Professionals
• Nurses: the art of caring with the essence of science– Assessment– Diagnosis– Planning– Implementation– Evaluation
• Registered nurse versus licensed practical nurse
Copyright 2011 Health Administration Press
Healthcare Professionals
• Pharmacists– RPh versus PharmD– State-board certified– Changing role of the pharmacist
• Allied health professionals– Professionals who deliver health-related services
• Disease prevention• Nutrition• Rehabilitation and therapy
– Requires education and training
Copyright 2011 Health Administration Press
Healthcare Professionals
• Healthcare administrators– Organize, coordinate, and manage healthcare– Postsecondary education required• Bachelors and/or master’s degree in healthcare
administration, business administration, or public health
– Growth of the profession• 10,000 healthcare administrators in 2007, up from
5,700 in 1990
Copyright 2011 Health Administration Press
The Role of HR Management inHealthcare
• Qualifications of HR personnel– Education, experience, judgment ability,
accountability, physical and communication skills, and certification or licensure
• Primary roles– Verifying credentials– Education services– Practitioner management
Copyright 2011 Health Administration Press
The Changing Healthcare Profession
• The 1990s:– The meaning of health redefined– Boundaries of healthcare professionals reshaped– Outcomes of healthcare interventions changed– New ways of thinking about quality of life
• Three major changes– Shift to outpatient care and cost containment– Technological advances– Medical innovation
Copyright 2011 Health Administration Press
Healthcare Trends Affecting HR
• Hospitalists and changing hospital–physician relationships
• Decreased reimbursements• Alternative therapies• Interdisciplinary patient care teams• Recruitment and retention• Entrepreneurship