A great way for nurses looking for a different nursing job is to make a career transition into Practice Management. Whether you are currently medical practice nursing or hospital nursing, consider Practice Management when deciding your future career direction.
What Practice Managers do
As a Practice Manager, you are critical to the smooth and professional operations of a medical practice. A competent Practice Manager is a highly valued member of the team.
Practice Managers use their skills to lead and manage important aspects of a medical or health practice. These include every level of staffing from recruitment through to performance management, privacy, security and accuracy of patient records, and operational standards and procedures. Often you will manage revenue cycles, oversee budgets, manage operations resources, and participate in strategic planning to improve the overall running of the practice.
As a professional nurse, you will already have many of these skills. The additional skills that will set you apart from the crowd are gained through a completed online Diploma of Practice Management.
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7 Qualities of a Great Nurse that make a Great Practice Manager
1. Appropriate Qualifications and Experience
Both roles require you to be appropriately qualified, and previous work experience is desirable. The field of Practice Management is growing at a rapid pace creating appealing opportunities for career growth.
2. Excellent Communication Skills
As a nurse, you already have experience in quickly putting people at ease while inspiring confidence and feelings of safety. In a Practice environment, your ability to build relationships with clients brings the long-term satisfaction of following people through their total health journey. You will find your ability to speak and listen is essential to problem-solving and to managing your team.
Excellent written and verbal skills are essential for effective management in both roles. Your value as a Practice Manager is enhanced when you can communicate at all levels from child clients to senior medical personnel. Knowledge of the technical/medical language is an advantage too. You’re used to explaining a hard-to-comprehend language in a way that is both easy and comforting.
3. Flexibility and Adaptability
Employers in all industries seek candidates who exhibit flexibility and adaptability. The diverse nature of the hospital or clinic setting has ensured you have developed these qualities and gives you a natural familiarity with the role of Practice Manager.
4. Decisive Leadership
A great nurse can think quickly and address problems as or before they arise. Your emotional maturity, decision-making ability and good moral compass are your strengths when it comes to making honest and ethical business decisions.
5. Team Player
Clinical nursing is a team sport. Those skills are wholly transferable to the Medical Practice setting and are highlighted as you interact with receptionists, assistants, practitioners, suppliers, and compliance officials.
Where other candidates for the role might lack the ability to relate immediately to both the medical team and the clients, you can quickly own the role and be comfortable with navigating intrinsic and essential day-to-day relationships.
6. Dependability
The years you’ve dedicated to your professional growth as a nurse is a reliable indicator to a future employer of your dependability and worth.
7. General Management Skills
Your management skills have been formed in the crucible of acute nursing whether you are aware of it or not. A Diploma of Practice Management will show your future employer that you have taken steps to fill in any gaps in your background.
Job Opportunities and Job Satisfaction
You will find that the job opportunities in Practice Management are varied, and roles range from a general practitioner’s office, a medical or health clinic, or a department in a hospital. Practice Managers are essential in all these places and both the medical team and patients depend upon your skills.
In all these areas, you will be able to use your skills, be challenged to grow further, have autonomy and authority, and be valued and respected. Furthermore, the work of a medical practice provides the all-of-life care that is rarely available in an acute setting.
Prepare today for your Career Change
Start preparing for the career transition from nursing to practice management now. Many nurses easily gain the Diploma of Practice Management (HLT57715) by studying online at their own pace while fitting study around current work and lifestyle. Ask our coaches how you can benefit from this Diploma today.