If you want to work in the health care field, but don't really want to become a doctor or nurse, you may want to become a director of a healthcare facility. While you'll have to go to school and get some work experience before you can land this type of job, you may find that the process is worth it if you like solving problems and being a leader.

Education

Many jobs in the health care field only require a high school diploma or some sort of certificate, but other jobs require many years of college. You won't have to be in school for a decade to become a director of a healthcare facility, but you will have to get at least a Bachelor in Healthcare Administration. If you want to have even more opportunities, you can decide to get a master's degree. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, common areas of study for master's degree students include:

  • Business Administration
  • Health Services
  • Long-term Care Administration
  • Public Administration
  • Public Health

Getting a bachelor's degree will probably take about four years, and earning a master's degree may take another two or three years depending on your school and program of study.

Certification and Skills

Whether or not you need to be certified depends on where you work. For instance, most directors who run hospitals aren't required by law to have any specific kind of certification, but nursing homes and assisted living facilities often only hire individuals who complete a specified training program and pass an examination in order to become licensed. If you want to become a director of a healthcare facility, you should start working on gaining the skills that you'll need for your career. Directors need to be able to pay attention to detail, solve problems, and communicate clearly with others. In order to get a job as a director and do well in your new career, you should also work on gaining technical skills. While you don't need to know a lot about computers to do your job, you should be comfortable with using a variety of technologies that are common in the health care industry.

Finding a Job

After you obtain the education, certification and skills that are required to become a director of a healthcare facility, you can start looking for a job. You probably won't be able to become the director of a whole hospital right away, so start small and be content with just managing a specific department at first. To land your first job, look for employment at places such as:

  • Hospitals
  • Nursing Homes
  • Assisted Living Facilities
  • Ambulatory Health Care Facilities

To find a job within a short time frame, be willing to work full-time hours with occasional overtime. Since many facilities are open all of the time, being able to work non-standard working hours should also help you get your foot in the door.

Related Resource: Healthcare Management

This type of career requires hard work and dedication if you want to succeed. Becoming a director of a healthcare facility might not be easy, but if it's your dream job, it will be worth your time and effort.