Introduction
The healthcare industry is among the technical and crucial sectors that determine a country’s growth and development. New entrants into the industry are often faced with the challenge of acquiring vital skills and mentorship to lead successful careers. Those already in the field and the middle-level practitioners need guidance to move to senior positions. At the same time, senior healthcare professionals need support to navigate through different positions in the sector (Barker & Kelley, 2020). The need for mentorship is the main motivating factor for developing the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) mentorship program. This essay highlights the program’s purpose, operations, and role in enabling future healthcare administrators to secure and sustain jobs in the healthcare sector.
ACHE’s Purpose and Operations
Ache is founded on the knowledge that the future of healthcare leadership and management lies in the new entrants and mid-careerists who need mentorship to navigate the changes and developments in healthcare. According to Bonica and Bewley (2018), it is a global professional society with over 48,000 healthcare executives in charge of hospitals, healthcare systems, and organizations globally. ACHE has received international recognition for its role in leadership excellence in healthcare through its wide range of learning and research programs. Its annual healthcare leadership congress attracts over 4,000 participants and contributes to groundbreaking research crucial to the health industry (Zambrano, 2019). Learning is a life-long process that depends not only on training and practice but also on mentorship. The ACHE mentorship program is beneficial to both mentors and mentees. It provides a platform through which mentees learn from the experiences and skills of long-term professionals in the fields. At the same time, the mentors gain satisfaction derived from their contribution to the future success of the healthcare industry.
Benefits to the Future Healthcare Administrators
Health workers and professionals who are keen on leveraging their careers in health and advancing their skills to reach their optimum potential can utilize the ACHE mentorship program to achieve their goals. First, the program enables mentees to develop self-confidence in their professional practice (Bonica & Bewley, 2018). Being mentored by people who started at the lowest position and rose in the ranks can be a motivator that will help most entrants gain confidence in their line of work. Confidence boosts self-esteem and assures new practitioners that they are on the right track, thus exposing them to more opportunities for growth.
Second, mentees develop critical thinking skills crucial for their medical practice, especially in the face of technological innovations. The healthcare sector has witnessed vital innovations and global changes that call for critical thinking. New challenges develop now and then, which cannot be solved with the standard training, thus requiring medical professionals to think critically. Mentorship gives mentees insight into some of the current and expected changes and guides them into various ways of navigating these developments through critical thinking and analysis.
Third, the ACHE mentorship program increases the mentees’ professional visibility and presence among executive leaders. ACHE’s mentors have been in the field long enough to understand the industry operations. They serve as an entry route for new practitioners in the sector. Through mentorship, new healthcare workers will be more recognized and readily accepted as executive leaders in their lines of work (Barker & Kelley, 2020). Lastly, mentorship programs provided by ACHE can help those who are not decided on their path in healthcare to develop clear long-term career goals.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the healthcare industry has witnessed rapid growth and new challenges that require new approaches. As entrants and mid-careerists desire to develop a niche in the sector and grow their professional and critical thinking skills, mentorship is one of the essential factors to consider. The ACHE mentorship program connects mentees to experienced mentors who equip them with the skills and knowledge necessary for their long-term career practice.
References
Barker, E., & Kelley, P. (2020). Mentoring: A vital link in nurse practitioner development.Journal of The American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 32(9), 621-625. Web.
Bonica, M., & Bewley, L. (2018). A comparison of mentorship attitudes and attributes between civilian and army healthcare leaders.Military Medicine, 184(5-6), e255-e262. Web.
Zambrano, R. (2019). The value and imperative of diversity leadership development and mentoring in healthcare.Journal of Healthcare Management, 64(6), 356-358. Web.