HA 660 - Administrative Practicum

Designed primarily for long-term care administrators, but may also be taken by other MHA students who will benefit from a practicum experience. The course requires the student to develop a program for familiarization with long term care or other health care facility; to spend time with, or otherwise become knowledgeable about, the functional areas or departments of the facility and to complete several assignments relating to that experience. Content areas covered include: Resident/Patient Care and Quality of Life, Human Resources, Finance, Physical Environment & Atmosphere and Leadership and Management. The length of the internship period may vary, but follows the same guidelines and includes the same type of assignments.

Prerequisites & Notes
All other coursework, except the capstone course, should be completed or nearly completed before starting this course.

Assignment Overview
Final Assessment: Successful Completion of Practicum and Final Project Paper

Course Learning Objectives
The objectives of this practicum are the following:

To provide a planned, progressively comprehensive, supervised training program, combining academic learning with practical experience.
To introduce the student to a dimension of health care management that will expand his or her knowledge base.
To require the student to apply management principles learned in class to real-life situations and problems.
To provide an opportunity for interaction between the student and health care professionals, and to instill in the student an appreciation of professional attitudes and values.
To reinforce in the student a sense of responsibility toward the profession of health care management, colleagues, resident/patients or clients, and the community.
To allow the student an opportunity to assume administrative responsibility.
To develop the student’s communication skills through written reports (including the Project Paper), and through interactions such as meetings and presentations.
To engage the student in a participatory learning experience that will benefit the organization providing the field experience.
To develop a confident, professional administrator, possessing the necessary skills and expertise.
To assist the student in preparation for any required licensure exams.

Credits: 3 or 6

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