Women in Healthcare
Drawing more women to the healthcare industry is a matter of interest for many healthcare facilities. Empowering women in healthcare to strive to leadership roles is a mutually beneficial endeavor, for women and the industry itself.
Women can gain from becoming prominent members of the healthcare community and the facilities benefit by obtaining a more diverse perspective for their leadership team. In a recent article in the online Journal of Issues in Nursing, it was noted that “The changing demographics and economics of our growing multicultural world and the long-standing disparities in the health status of people from culturally diverse backgro
unds have challenged health care providers and organizations to consider cultural diversity as a priority.” This holds true for many roles in the healthcare field. Due to this increased need, many management positions have opened up in new and exciting ways. The industry has seen a rise in the need for more diverse leadership.
As the roles in healthcare change, the leaders should be a reflection of the population occupying these new roles. For example, women have become a prominent player in management positions in healthcare. It is obvious that women leaders are wanted and needed from both sides. How healthcare organizations go about implementing this will depend on the approach used by administrative staff and board.
Unify through Community
Building a community of learners is one way that the healthcare industry can help to create more female leadership. Traditionally this may have been addressed by asking women to individually seek out mentors in the field. With the development of social media, there are many new ways to promote and build a community. Utilizing social media to its full advantage by creating and seeking out healthcare groups is an excellent example of connecting. Encouraging existing healthcare professionals to create a group online through outlets like meetup.com empowers them in an accessible manner.
Physically creating a space for women to explore leadership values, ideas and concepts is also an option. This can be achieved through gatherings like a conference. Modern Healthcare hosts an annual full day Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference in August each year. Conferences such as these are a perfect way for women to connect with one another. They help provide a learning space for women to share ideas and concepts on how to expand their presence in their workplace.
Women in the healthcare industry face a unique set of challenges and offer a unique perspective to the business. The community that is created through shared insight can help to grow a new momentum of change. If you are interested in gaining a leadership position in the healthcare field, consider pursuing a degree in healthcare administration.
