Ensure that you respond to at least one other student’s discussion post.*Peer’s Response*: As a leader in my current role, I find it difficult to speak on the strengths and weaknesses that I posses. Each year we have to do a self evaluation and one part of this is that we have to speak on personal SWOT’s and I find this extremely difficult but it is a great way to truly dig within and be self aware of what I need to work on. I am a big promoter of change management and I truly believe that through change we evolve, our strengths and differences will morphe to match what we need at that time to complete the task at hand.
One of my primary strengths is verbal communication, I am someone who knows how to to verbalize what they are thinking, what I want and how I want to achieve it. I consistently receive positive feedback for my ability to deliver ideas clearly and persuasively. I can eloquently verbalize my needs and wants to a small group of people or to a larger group. In my resume, I highlighted this by writing that I communicate and collaborate efficiently with other teams.
My second strength, which could potentially be a weakness at times, is that I am very empathetic. I seek to not only understand what someone is saying but also the feeling behind those words. When a patient comes to me and needs an ear to bend I will listen and I will offer advice if needed. This is good as I am able to build relationships built on trust which is earned by being a constant in my patients lives. However, this can also be detrimental as I am taking on someone else’s feelings as my own. This personal strength is highlighted in my cover letter by explaining that I value building and maintaining relationships.
One of my weaknesses is that I sometimes over extend myself, I do not like to leave work unfinished. If I am assigned a task and a deadline, I do not like to leave things until the last minute. I will work extra hours or work through lunch to make sure that all deadlines for extra projects are met and that my normal daily tasks have been completed. This can lead to burnout in my career. There have been many times that I have put too much or unnecessary pressure on myself and felt like I was crumbling under pressure that was only put there by myself.
My second weakness is that I have a hard time delegating tasks out to my team. If I am assigned a new project, I want to work it and make sure that I know exactly what Is going on with my team. However, as a manager, I am often handed more than I am able to shoulder myself and I need to learn to give up some control and delegate projects to my team. This not only frees up time for myself but it also helps my team to be able to get their names out in the company and allows them to grow.
My initial response: My greatest asset is defining and analyzing problems, particularly those within the context of healthcare systems. While at Naples Community Hospital, undertaking my clinical rotation, I engaged in practices that helped address some of the once-long waiting periods patients had to endure. Such an approach helps me provide tangible enhancements to inpatient treatment. Another one of the strengths I have is demonstrated ability in leadership to members from other disciplines. While driving for improved quality in the emergency department, I spearhead a team of nurses, physicians, and other officers, turning fragmented practices into unified patient-oriented practices. Of the factors that make me a strong candidate for the job, recognizing my strengths will help me stand out among the other candidates and enable me to perform the duties that come with the position effectively. In making service improvements for the Emergency Department in our hospital, I led a healthcare team by defining working relationships and acknowledging individual strengths to avoid compartmentalized care for patients.
All these strengths align with the healthcare positions I seek in clinical quality improvement and care coordination. Healthcare systems in the present world are diverse, making people who can analyze and practice changes in such systems highly appreciated. The demonstrated analytical talents enable me to assess activities and provide recommendations for improvements in performance and results of the procedures affecting my patients. Since healthcare is now more dependent on interprofessional teams, I am well prepared for positions that involve managing multiple teams from different teams. Current market trends mean that healthcare employers are looking for individuals who can address the interprofessional communication gap. The mentioned competency and the need to foster collaboration with other healthcare professionals will be met efficiently.
Reviewing the accomplishments highlighted on my resume, I have pointed out increases in quantitative measures such as patient satisfaction and throughput time. I ensure I underscore the case of solved care coordination dilemmas in my cover letter. As for collaborative leadership, I added the “Healthcare Leadership Experience” part, describing situations when I led interdisciplinary teams. In my cover letter, I relate my leadership policy to the value system of target institutions.
I have no problems interacting directly with patients and their families. However, I get nervous while presenting my opinions before other medical practitioners, thus my inability to push for protocol changes across the whole hospital.
My second weakness relates to clinical decision-making patience; I always rush for patient interventions instead of waiting in some cases. In complicated care situations, my insistence on getting things done rapidly causes me to miss essential patient details that could help make our care more precise.
A clear description of the steps that one will likely be taking to counter the weaknesses in the future was to tackle the problem of presentation anxiety, and I have signed up for Healthcare Communicators and do a monthly presentation. I have also joined a Healthcare Communication seminar for structured feedback, and I have observed that my anxiety during recent case presentations has reduced.
Regarding clinical patience weakness, restructuring reflection activities and gaining feedback from more experienced clinicians are planned. I have practiced mindfulness to be more comfortable with the uncertainty in clinical practice and have established guidelines for when inaction or action is best for patients. By conducting accurate self-evaluation and achieving conscious development, I am building my competencies for seeking positions that meet the job descriptions and personal development plan.