Strong leadership skills vital to meet healthcare challenges

Australia’s health and social care system is under mounting pressure, driven by an ageing population and rising demand for services.

Healthcare expenditure is projected to climb from 19 per cent of total government spending in 2021 to 26 per cent by 2060. At the same time, the number of Australians aged 65 and over is expected to almost double by 2061, making up 23 per cent of the population.

As demand for services grows, experts warn that the sector requires strong leadership to ensure it is fit-for-purpose in the decades ahead.

“Whether you look at the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety or the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability, so many of the findings relate back to deficits in leadership,” says Janelle Craig, course director at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS).

When people are admitted to hospital, they naturally expect to be cared for. But fellow UTS academic, Associate Professor Deborah Debono, notes that one in 10 patients will be harmed by the delivery of healthcare – what’s known as iatrogenic harm.

“It’s massive; one in 10 is likely to be an underestimate, and that’s only in hospitals. We need strong leadership to create the change that will drive better outcomes, because otherwise it’s just going to stay the same.”

A flexible, online approach to upskilling

Brenton Ciani is one healthcare worker who has experienced the importance of developing leadership skills firsthand. Originally a clinical nurse in the emergency department of a busy Sydney hospital, he wound up managing a rapid-turnover in-patient unit, and realised he needed to develop as a leader to progress his career.

That realisation led him to enrol in the UTS Online master of health service management, which he chose because it was designed for busy healthcare workers like him.

“The online course design was attractive for me personally, because I could accommodate it around my work and life at the time,” Ciani says. “I had heard good things about their learning environments, how welcoming it is, and how staff want to get the best out of you.”

Unlike traditional university courses, the master of health service management is taught one subject at a time in seven-week blocks, making it accessible for students who are managing online study with work and life commitments.

“You need to push yourself as a self-directed learner, but I found it quite motivating, because you do have constant deadlines to meet.”

Study pathways enhanced by strong industry ties

The master of health service management attracts a diverse cohort of students from around Australia, Debono says, from doctors and nurses to allied health professionals, community mental health workers, general practice managers, Indigenous health workers and members of the defence forces.

“It makes for a richer student experience, because students learn from their peers and colleagues as well as us.”

Students can design their pathway through the degree, choosing to enrol in a graduate certificate first, for example, and then transferring into the master’s if they want to study further.

From a student-run Facebook group to Zoom workshops, there is also a lively online community, which students can engage with as much or as little as they wish.

“The online community was incredible,” Ciani says. “I’m not just in a class with nursing leaders; there were dietitians, social workers, every kind of allied health professional, and people working in strategy, risk and safety. That was great, particularly if you’re looking to step into the management phase of your career and want to understand all these different perspectives.”

Craig notes the UTS School of Public Health has strong connections with industry.

“Our curriculum is deeply informed by industry,” she says. “We have a course advisory committee that’s made up of professionals from around Australia, from a number of diverse programs, which is vital to keeping the program relevant.”

Guest speakers from industry present to students online, often inviting them to connect on LinkedIn. Assessments are also designed to be authentic, so students can take what they’re learning and apply it to their own workplaces.

Many of the teachers also have experience in the healthcare industry, including working in hospitals, so understand the unique context many students are working in.

“There’s a lively online community through LinkedIn, we’re still interacting with each other,” Ciani says. “It’s been fantastic for networking as well or asking former classmates for advice.”

Debono says the master of health services management is also taught with the psychological safety of all students in mind, and emphasises the positive impact they can be creating in their communities.

“UTS has a strong social justice focus, and that aligns perfectly with what we’re doing with this postgraduate degree. It comes from the top.”

Learn more about the UTS Master of Health Services Management at UTS Online.

This article is republished from The Australian Financial Review under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.