Without getting into the whole gender equality debate, it’s interesting to note that although women comprise roughly 40 percent of all physicians in the United States today, very few actually achieve real leadership roles. When it comes to healthcare administration, few hospital administrators are women. The numbers certainly don’t line up! It is virtually the same across all areas of healthcare from large institutions to smaller care homes and private clinics. You will find that most leadership roles of any import are held by men. Many healthcare professionals question this because there is a growing opinion in the field that women are really particularly well-suited to leadership roles, and mothers especially. Let’s look at this assumption for just a moment.
Let’s Burst the Old Gender Gap Bubble
Even today, it is harder for women to get themselves into leadership roles. Women have made great progress in the healthcare industry, however. The UK, for example, boasts almost a 50/50 split between female and male doctors as of 2019 – a 20% increase in female doctors on 2012 figures alone. There are so many options out there for women in the healthcare industry, whether they want to work within a larger area such as a hospital or they want to manage a support worker team within a home care business. There are plenty of resources such as an NDIS provider guide, healthcare classes, and additional support, that can get them to climb up that ladder and sit on top with the rest.
One of the reasons why women have traditionally been ‘held back’ from assuming leadership positions is based on an older and outdated family model. Men went out to work and women stayed at home to care for the family. While there is nothing inherently wrong with this family model and, in fact, many couples embrace this lifestyle, the reality is that most families simply can’t survive on a single income. Furthermore, women are seeking fulfilling roles in both their own lives and in the workforce and there’s usually no reason why they shouldn’t pursue their dreams. It’s time to do away with the old to make room for a new paradigm.
Women Are Comfortable with Their Softer Side
For so many years women sought to model after their male counterparts in leadership roles. When it comes to leadership in healthcare, this isn’t always what is needed in the job. Women have striven long and hard to maintain their identities in a male-dominated world and are now comfortable with the softer approach they are wont to take. They no longer seek to be strong and stern when they have found a way to embrace their soft skills.
Healthcare Administration with a Mother’s Touch
As any mother can tell you, successful discipline consists of both structure and compassion. In healthcare, this trait is vitally important simply because of the specific needs of the industry. Yes, healthcare institutions need to be financially stable, but it pays to always be aware of the portion of the population they are serving. That would be those who are suffering and perhaps in crisis, those without insurance or need help from a NDIS provider guide. Mothers understand that life needs to be flexible and that’s why so many are working in the field while pursuing a higher degree with programs like online.suffolk.edu out of Boston. They are achieving their Masters in Healthcare Administration (MHA) while raising a family and working as a doctor or nurse, for example.
The bottom line is that mothers tend to approach leadership from a softer side while maintaining a firm commitment to structure. This isn’t a treatise on traditional roles but rather what is in their DNA. Never before has it been possible to so easily balance family life, a full-time job, and a pursuit of higher education. With the availability of schools like Suffolk University, it is possible to do all of this and so much more. Isn’t it time to embrace who you are as a mother and a healthcare professional? The two were never mutually exclusive and the time to grow is now.
