How to Develop Your Healthcare Career (eBook)

A Guide to Employability and Professional Development

Lisa E. Taylor (Herausgeber)

eBook Download: PDF

2016
John Wiley & Sons (Verlag)
978-1-118-91082-5 (ISBN)

Infos

• An informative guide to all key aspects of employability for graduating students, educators, managers, and qualified healthcare professionals.
• Written specifically for health professionals, focusing on their needs and the challenges they face, maximising employability potential, and managing career progression.
• Packed full of potential interview questions, reflection opportunities, and case studies throughout
• Includes chapter on Professionalism, Continuing Professional Development (CPD), and Leadership

Lisa E. Taylor, Lecturer in Occupational Therapy and Employability Lead for the School of Rehabilitation Sciences (RSC), University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK

Inhalt

Title Page 5
Copyright Page 6
Contents 7
Contributors 11
Foreword 12
Preface 14
Chapter 1 What is employability and what does it mean for you? 17
Introduction 17
What does the literature say on employability and how it has evolved? 18
Towards a common language of employability 18
Models of employability 19
Bennett et al. model on course provision 19
Watts DOTS model 21
Dacre Pool and Sewell Career EDGE model 21
Yorke and Knight USEM model 21
Personal responsibility for employability 22
External influences on employability 22
Response to changing expectations within the workplace and personal circumstances 23
How is employability approached within education? 25
Maximising your own employability potential 27
What do employers want from graduates? 28
Healthcare employability 30
Evidencing your employability 32
Conclusions 33
Definitions 34
References 35
Chapter 2 Career planning and management 37
Introduction – Aims of this chapter 37
What do we mean by ‘Career’? 38
Describing careers 38
Using multiple perspectives 40
Factors that influence our career 43
Personal factors: Things about you that might affect your choices and opportunities 43
Attributes and strengths: What comes easily to you and what 44
Skill development: What you are good at and where you are happy learning? 45
Vocational factors: What might affect how and where you work? 45
External or market factors: What might affect the opportunities open to you? 46
Mapping factors 46
Making good career decisions 47
Exploration 48
Establishment 48
Maintenance 48
Disengagement 50
Possible causes of career change 50
In summary: What do we know? How can this help in considering future chapters? 51
References 52
Chapter 3 Professionalism 53
What is a profession? 53
What is meant by a ‘social contract’ 54
Why is a ‘complex body of knowledge and skills’ important? 54
Is vocation still relevant to today’s professionals? 56
Why are codes of ethics so important? 58
Greater accountability 58
Why is professional identity important? 60
Learning professionalism 62
A word about social media 64
Summary 65
References 66
Chapter 4 Continuing professional development (CPD) 70
Introduction 70
Objectives 71
The terminology of CPD 72
A definition of CPD 72
Motivations to engage with CPD 74
The precursors of effective CPD 75
Types of CPD: What counts as CPD? 76
Ensuring that different types of CPD are recorded 79
Levels of CPD, credit-bearing or non-credit-bearing CPD 80
Where to access CPD 82
How to access CPD: Overcoming barriers 83
Evaluating the effectiveness of CPD 84
An outline practical approach to planning and undertaking a balanced CPD portfolio 86
Conclusions 87
References 88
Further reading 88
Chapter 5 Leadership 89
Introduction 89
What is leadership? 89
Why is leadership important in health care? 90
Leadership as a professional responsibility 91
Why choose to be a leader? 91
Improving care 91
Influencing change 92
Reward and recognition 92
Because you have something to give 92
Leadership and management 93
Leadership and culture 94
What is your approach to leading? 94
What do employers want in early and developing leaders? 95
What are the component behaviours and personal qualities that influence leadership effectiveness? 96
Component leadership behaviours 96
Personal qualities 96
What sort of leader are you? 97
Typical leadership development activities 98
Employers’ expectations of early career healthcare professionals 98
When will you feel like a leader? 99
Tips and trips 100
References 101
Further reading 101
Chapter 6 Service improvement 103
Background and context 103
Where has service improvement come from? 105
How does service improvement feature in healthcare education? 108
Service improvement as an ‘employability skill’ 109
What level of service improvement experience will be expected? 110
Level 1 110
Level 2 111
Level 3 111
Level 4 112
What specific skills can I demonstrate through service improvement experience? 112
Communication and customer care 113
Solving problems 113
Mathematics 114
Working with others 114
Demonstrate positive attitudes, values and behaviours 114
Service improvement and leadership skills 115
Conclusions 116
Case studies 116
Case study 1 116
Case study 2 118
Case study 3 121
References 123
Chapter 7 Business skills 125
Things 126
Legal structures 126
Marketing 129
Assets 131
People 131
Stakeholders 131
Management structures and skills 133
Communication 134
Time 138
Time management and organisation 139
Setting goals 139
Money 141
Income and expenditure 141
Accounting 141
Tax – income and corporation 143
Tax – Value Added 143
Summary 144
References 145
Chapter 8 The job application process 146
Getting behind the recruitment process 146
What employers are looking for 146
Organisational sectors 147
Job and person specifications 147
Introducing the CV 147
Starting your CV 148
CV layout 148
Submitting your CV 150
What can go wrong 152
Other application processes 152
The personal statement 152
Preparing for the interview 153
Initial preparation 153
The interview itself 154
Logistics 154
Building knowledge 154
Building interview skills 155
Your image 155
Preparing for an assessment centre 156
In the interview room 156
Handling questions 156
What next? 157
Reference 158
Further reading 158
Chapter 9 Consolidation of learning and moving forward 159
Chapter 1 – What is employability and what does it mean for you? 160
Key learning points 160
Activity – What is your approach to employability? 160
Chapter 2 – Career planning and management 160
Key learning points 160
Activity 1 – Personal values and motivators exercise 160
Activity 2 – Attributes 162
Chapter 3 – Professionalism 162
Key learning points 163
Activity 163
Chapter 4 – Continuing professional development 163
Key learning points 163
Activity 1 164
Activity 2 164
Activity 3 164
Chapter 5 – Leadership 165
Key learning points 165
Activity – What is your approach to leadership? 165
Chapter 6 – Service improvement 165
Key learning points 165
Activity – Reflecting on your service improvement experience and transferrable skills for employment 165
Chapter 7 – Business skills 166
Key learning points 166
Activity 166
Chapter 8 – The job application process 167
Key learning points 167
Activity 167
Activity 167
Consolidation of learning and moving forward conclusions 168
Reference 168
Index 169
EULA 174

Textauszug

Chapter 1
What is employability and what does it mean for you?

Lisa Taylor

School of Health Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK

Introduction

Employability may be something that you have never really considered in detail before. Perhaps you have been focusing on completing your studies without really thinking about what will happen when you have finished? Will you continue studying as a postgraduate, go travelling or try to find a job in your chosen profession? Your consideration of your own employability should start as soon as possible and is a lifelong journey of learning and reflection about yourself and what you can offer the world of work. What can the world of work offer you? In a changing health and social care environment the opportunities within your profession are changing too – What do you need to do to respond to that in a proactive manner?

This chapter provides you with some of the history and theory behind employability and encourages you to consider where you are in your employability journey. There are suggestions on what you can do to help develop your own employability. The remainder of the book builds upon the concept of employability presented in this chapter, focusing on key areas of personal and professional development that are particularly relevant for healthcare employability. Throughout this chapter you are encouraged to reflect and consider how the information presented affects you own perceptions of employability and your own employability journey.

What does the literature say on employability and how it has evolved?

Employability is complex and it is clear from the available literature that being able to develop a precise and clear focus on it as a concept is difficult (Harvey, 2001; Hillage and Pollard, 1998). Employability and career development are very often conflated as concepts but are addressed individually in this book. The debate on employability has been longstanding, reaching far beyond the United Kingdom (Harvey and Knight, 2003). Although the meaning of employability has changed over time (Moreau and Leathwood, 2006), the importance of employability within the strategic direction of the Department of Education has been highlighted (Hillage and Pollard, 1998). Some authors state that employability has historically been viewed from a number of perspectives – economic social, organisational and individual – with the individual perspective emerging more in the 1990s (Nauta et al., 2009).

Rosenburg, Heimler and Morote (2012) discuss employability as the basic skills needed for job performance and once an individual is in employment, employability develops into transferable core proficiencies. They are, therefore, suggesting that employability is a continuing process of personal and professional development. Yorke (2006) states that employability as a concept was developed within education and focuses on the possession of relevant achievements and the ability to function in a job, not actually the process of acquiring a job. Dacre Pool and Sewell (2007) support this assertion, suggesting that employability is more than just getting a job. Employability is rarely defined as an individual being equipped to do a job (Harvey, 2001). Some approaches appear to confuse employability and employment (McQuaid and Lindsay, 2005). Harvey and Knight (2003) present different perspectives on employability – from developing attributes for graduate employment to the ability of a graduate to get a job and to succeed in a job. Therefore, there are a wide range of perspectives on employability, most of which reinforce the notion that employability is more than just a set of skills and is a continuing process.

Time for reflection

How does the literature above inform your understanding of employability as a concept? What and who do you think influences your own employability?

Towards a common language of employability

Despite the arguments presented that propose that employability is wider than just a group of skills that individuals develop, skill acquisition still appears to be the basis used for policy formation (Holmes, 2001). There appears to be an assumption that skills are synonymous with employability (Holmes, 2006). It is critical that education establishments and employers have the same understanding of employability (Holmes, 2001). This shared understanding is essential to ensure consistency in expectations and to assist the transitions individuals make, firstly from studies to employment and then within their careers. It is unfortunate that little research exists to underpin the alternative approaches to the skills approach to employability (Hinchliffe and Jolly, 2011). With employability being high on some governments’ agenda (Moreau and Leathwood, 2006), it is crucial that this concept is adequately defined and researched to enable individuals to understand and enhance their employability through a common language.

It is the employers that convert the employability of graduates into employment (Harvey, 2001) – so, as previously suggested, employability is the process of equipping yourself for a job with employment being the outcome when you are actually in a job. You need an awareness of what employers are looking for; this may change in response to policy changes and economic changes, which are critical to keep abreast of. Professional bodies keep abreast and inform members of changes that impact on their profession. However, on a local level the individual needs to understand the impact of changes on the work context. For example, a speech and language service going through the tendering and contracting process requires flexibility and proactiveness of its employees. The journey of employability continues for an individual as he/she continues to develop personally and professionally in their job/s as they develop their careers (Figure 1.1).

Figure 1.1 The journey of employability

Time for reflection

If you could design a model of employability – what would it look like?

Models of employability

The main models of employability reported in the literature are presented here. This provides an opportunity for you to consider how these reflect your understanding of employability and whether they are models that you would find helpful to apply to your own personal construct of employability.

Bennett et al. model on course provision

Bennett, Dunne and Carré (1999) proposed a model focusing on course provision within education – with five main areas of focus for education establishments to adequately prepare students for the world of work:

1. Disciplinary content knowledge, for example anatomy and physiology.
2. Disciplinary skills, for example taking someone’s blood pressure.
3. Workplace awareness, for example knowledge of what is offered and what is required of you within the hospital workplace or area that you are working.
4. Workplace experience, for example placement experiences.
5. Generic skill, for example team working, time management, communication.

Watts DOTS model

Further suggested models include the DOTS model, which is discussed by Watts (2006). It is made up of four main components that break down employability into manageable areas to focus on – Decision learning, Opportunity awareness, Transition learning and Self-awareness. The interesting aspect of the DOTS model is a self-awareness of your skills interests and values. For example – if you are a physiotherapist – does women’s health interest you or does musculoskeletal physiotherapy interest you? If you are considering working within a social enterprise, do their care values match your values and if they do not match up then how comfortable are you working within such an environment?

Dacre Pool and Sewell Career EDGE model

Career EGDE was presented in a paper by Dacre Pool and Sewell (2007). It is a three-tiered system. In the first tier, the following employability components are included: career development, experience in life and work, degree (knowledge and understanding), generic transferable skills and emotional intelligence to motivate yourself and others. The second tier of the model is a reflection and evaluation tier – reinforcing the importance for you to reflect upon your experiences. The reflection and evaluation feeds into the third tier, which includes self-esteem, self-confidence and self-efficacy. Reflection upon your experiences is something that as healthcare students/practitioners you are used to undertaking regularly.

The unique value of the Career EDGE model lies in its transferability to any stage in a career. It is not exclusive to students, which reinforces the message that employability is a life-long journey and does not end when employment has been secured.

Yorke and Knight USEM model

The USEM (understanding, skills, efficacy beliefs and metacognition) model presented by Yorke and Knight (2006) is reported to be one of the most used and respected models of employability and offers another model that looks beyond the skill development aspect of employability (Hinchliffe and Jolly, 2011; Dacre Pool and Sewell, 2007). The USEM model contributes to a large body of academic work on employability which can make it inaccessible for individuals to use, resulting in it becoming more of a guide...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 22.1.2016
• Reihe/Serie: HOW - How To
• Reihe/Serie: HOW - How To
• Reihe/Serie: How To
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Gesundheit / Leben / Psychologie
• Themenwelt: Medizin / Pharmazie ► Allgemeines / Lexika
• Themenwelt: Medizin / Pharmazie ► Gesundheitswesen
• Themenwelt: Medizin / Pharmazie ► Medizinische Fachgebiete ► Medizinethik
• Schlagworte: and case studies • application • Berufe u. Ausbildung im Gesundheitswesen • business • Career • Case Studies • Educators • Employability • Framework • Gesundheits- u. Sozialwesen • Gesundheitswesen • Health & Health Care Special Topics • Health & Social Care • Healthcare • Health Care Professional Development & Education • Improvement • Interview • Job • Krankenpflege • Leadership • Leitungstätigkeit u. Management i. d. Krankenpflege • Leitungstätigkeit u. Management i. d. Krankenpflege • Management • Managers • nursing • Nursing Management & Leadership • Planning • Professionals • qualified • questions • reflection • reflection opportunities • rofessionalism • Service • Skills • Spezialthemen Gesundheitswesen • students • tinuing Professional Development
• ISBN-10: 1-118-91082-6 / 1118910826
• ISBN-13: 978-1-118-91082-5 / 9781118910825