Professional Development and Qualification of Health Care

Managers in the Conditions of the COVID 19 Epidemiological

Situation

Kamelia Bogdanova

and Galina Chaneva

Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria

Keywords: Managers, Management, Competencies, Program, Covid-19.

Abstract: In the conditions of epidemiological situation the responsibility and the increased requirements to the

healthcare managers significantly increase. Determining the competencies of management staff in a pandemic

is a complex process that requires the use of various methods and tools to identify problems related to the

situation. The main task of managers is to prevent or limit the spread of coronavirus in hospitals. Healthcare

managers are required to have competencies in the following areas: conflict management; motivating

employees; solving problems; information analysis; control; organizing; coordination. Achieving the goals of

each organization depends on the human factor and its effective management. Finding the right ways and

approaches to deal with problems is among the most important management functions of managers. The

effectiveness of health care and its management are related to medical professionals and their motivation to

work. On the other hand, managers must be motivated to develop their competencies and professional skills,

as a condition for quality of the management and creating an optimal organization of work. The purpose of

the present work is to consider the main management functions of the healthcare managers and to determine

the main aspects for continuous development of their competences in epidemiological situation as a condition

for improving management efficiency and quality of health care.

1 INTRODUCTION

The sustainable development of health facilities in the

competitive environment of the market economy

depends on their ability to provide affordable and

effective medical care. The healthcare is an important

part of them and their quality is a major factor in

patient satisfaction, as a condition for economic

stability of health structures. All this determines the

role of healthcare managers and emphasizes the

importance of their competencies to achieve optimal

organization and favorable working environment in

providing health services in accordance with public

needs and modern understandings of the quality of

medical care (Dobrilova, 2014; Bogdanova, 2019;

Dimitrova, 2019).

Healthcare managers are required to perform

complex management responsibilities because

traditional boundaries between administrative and

medical management are gradually disappearing

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(Slipovic and Masic, 2012). Their knowledge and

skills in planning, organizing, directing and

controlling financial, human and material resources

largely determine the effectiveness of health services

(Moore et al. 2002). It is also necessary for these

managers to have behavior which is specific to

healthcare management, and in addition they must

observe the concepts inherent in nursing (Chaneva,

2015; Chaneva et al., 2016).

The responsibility of healthcare managers and

their requirements increase significantly in the

context of the Covid-19 pandemic. Diagnosing the

competencies of management staff, in an

epidemiological environment, is a complex process

that requires the use of various methods and complex

approaches to identify all problematic situations in

hospital structures (Bogdanova and Trendafilova,

2020). The main task for managers is to prevent or

limit the spread of coronavirus in hospitals (World

Health Organization, 2019).

Bogdanova, K. and Chaneva, G.

Professional Development and Qualiﬁcation of Health Care Managers in the Conditions of the COVID 19 Epidemiological Situation.

DOI: 10.5220/0010596507190723

In Proceedings of the International Scientiﬁc and Practical Conference on Sustainable Development of Regional Infrastructure (ISSDRI 2021), pages 719-723

ISBN: 978-989-758-519-7

719

Although there is no clear definition of the main

competencies and skills required of managers, it is

generally accepted that further academic and

professional development are necessary for the

competent performance of management functions

(Williams and Ewell, 1996).

The dynamic external environment and the

growing social demands require a steady increase in

the cost of knowledge needed to the standards of best

management practice. This is a prerequisite for the

competitiveness and economic stability of health

structures and determines the main aspects of the

strategy for the development of medical institutions

(Slavkova, 2019; Bogdanova and Trendafilova,

2020).

The nursing profession is changing in conformity

with the development of medical science and

practice. This hampers the differentiation of

autonomous functions and responsibilities of nurses.

In response to the WHO's provisions regarding

healthcare standards in the practice of European

countries, it is needed a new approach to nursing care,

which will contribute to improving professional skills

for analysis of the patient condition and using of

individual care plan. (Dimitrova, 2019).

The purpose of the present work is to consider the

main management functions of the healthcare

managers and to determine the main aspects for

continuous development of their competences in

epidemiological situation as a condition for

improving management efficiency and quality of

health care.

2 OBJECT AND METHOD OF

WORK

The object of the study is healthcare management in

hospital wards in epidemiological situation of Covid

- 19. The study is based on analysis of existing

research and literature sources related to the nature

and development of the competencies of health care

managers and the organization of healthcare in

conditions of coronavirus pandemic. In accordance

with the main management functions, the main

aspects of a program for continuous development and

enhancement of the professional competencies of

healthcare managers in the context of the Covid-19

pandemic have been identified.

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

There are different frameworks for defining

managerial competencies (Dixon, 2006; Groothooff,

2009; Georgieva et al. 2017). They are usually

associated with certain skills or combinations of skills

depending on various factors, such as the level of

management, the level of development of the health

system, staff qualifications, the organization of work

in the health structure and others (Calhoun et al.,

2002; Liang, 2013). Effective health care

management requires managers to have competencies

in the following areas: conflict management;

motivating employees; solving problems;

information analysis; control; organizing;

coordination. In this context, the basic management

skills are identified, the improvement of which is

necessary for the development of the competencies of

managers: making decisions based on evidence;

administration and management of resources;

knowledge of the health environment and the

organization; communication skills and management

of interpersonal relationships; leadership; initiative

and innovation (Liang, 2018; Bogdanova and

Trendafilova, 2020).

Achieving the goals of each organization depends

on the human factor and its effective management.

Finding the right ways and approaches to deal with

problems is among the most important management

functions of managers (Pachev, 1999; Savov, 1999).

This emphasizes the importance of managers'

communication skills for effective human resource

management in accordance with the interests of the

organization and the members of the work team.

The efficiency of management and the quality of

health care are closely related to the motivation of

staff. To a large extent, it is determined by the socio-

economic conditions, but it does not reduce the role

of healthcare managers. The creation of a favorable

working environment and the motivation of the staff

depend on their qualification and professional skills

(Bogdanova, 2019; Jooste and Klipert, 2002). On the

other hand, managers must be motivated to develop

their competencies and professional skills, as a

condition for quality of the management and creating

an optimal organization of work (Bogdanova and

Trendafilova, 2020). The motivation of health care

managers to improve their skills and develop

competencies is related to the prospects for their

career development (Basarov, 2003; Dimitrov, 2009).

They should be informed of the hospital

management's assessment of the accordance of their

knowledge and skills with the requirements for the

positions held. They must also have a clear idea of

ISSDRI 2021 - International Scientiﬁc and Practical Conference on Sustainable Development of Regional Infrastructure

720

what they need to achieve as a result of the training,

such as the level of knowledge and skills, abilities and

behavior, and what change in pay new knowledge and

skills lead to, which increases the motivation of

healthcare workers. This emphasizes the need for a

program for continuous development of

competencies and improving the professional skills of

managers.

The program should be based on a system for

monitoring the competencies of health care managers,

as a condition for the relevance, effectiveness and

practical applicability of training in accordance with

the standards for quality of health services (Pachev,

1999; Calhoun et al., 2002 Slipovic and Masic, 2012;

Bogdanova and Trendafilova, 2020). The

professional development of health professionals

depends not only on their training in educational

institutions, but is largely determined by the

opportunities for improvement in the workplace.

Each medical institution must invest resources and

energy for training, continuous qualification and

professional development of its employees in

accordance with the principles of "continuity of

training", "interdisciplinary" and "multidisciplinary"

approach, as a basis for achieving effective and

sustainable development of health structures. This

creates conditions and prospects for career

development and provides the necessary attachment

and motivation by linking between the personal and

organization goals (Chaneva, 2005; Bogdanova,

2019).

The application of management methods and

tools in the organization of health care in the hospital

ward is an important condition for the quality of their

management. Continuous informing about the

novelties in the organization of care and the

application of management methods is a prerequisite

for improving the quality and efficiency of medical

care. This can be achieved by developing and

introducing a unified model of healthcare

management, which will regulate the rights and

obligations of healthcare managers and ensure better

organization in the medical institution. The

application of such model requires managers and

healthcare professionals to have the relevant

competencies, knowledge and professional skills

(Bogdanova, 2019).

The introduction of documents that describe the

procedures and elements of the process of health care

in hospital wards help to ensure their quality. Such

documents are the healthcare protocols and technical

slips, which determine the standard performance of

care and their level of quality. Their development and

implementation is carried out by the head nurse at the

hospital, with the participation of the best specialists

(Bogdanova, 2019).

The spread of Covid 19 infection in the last year

has affected all spheres of public life around the

world. Coronavirus (Covid-19) is a respiratory virus

that is transmitted by airborne droplets, by touching

infected surfaces or directly by hand-nose, hand-eye,

hand-mouth, hand-hand, but only if the hand of a

healthy person had contact with a sick person. The

symptoms of the virus are cough, fever, difficulty

breathing, muscle aches and fatigue and others.

Coronavirus has imposed rules and requirements

in hospitals and changed the management and

organization of health care. In the wards for treatment

of the infection, rules for disinfection, putting on

special work clothes, washing hands, regime of

entering and leaving the ward have been introduced.

The main problem for healthcare managers in an

epidemiological situation is finding medical

professionals who are trained to work in a situation of

emergency anti-epidemic measures. The application

of modern management methods and tools is directly

related to the implementation of current information

technologies and the competencies of managers for

their use. This allows correct data analysis and

provides greater opportunities for quality control and

assessment as a factor for effective work

organization.

All this confirms the need to create conditions for

continuous development of manager competences

and qualification increase of healthcare professionals

in the epidemiological situation.

The strategies to prevent or limit the spread of the

disease in health facilities include the following:

providing triage, early detection and control of the

source, isolating patients with suspected infection,

applying standard precautions for all patients and

staff, applying empirical additional precautions

measures in case of suspicion of cases of infection,

implementation of administrative control, use of

environmental and engineering control (World

Health Organization, 2019).

Based on the research, in accordance with the

main management functions and WHO

recommendations for preventing and limiting the

spread of coronavirus, the following main aspects of

a program for continuous development and enhancing

the professional competencies of healthcare

managers have been formulated:

I. Increasing the motivation of managers for

professional development in the conditions of Covid

19:

Professional Development and Qualiﬁcation of Health Care Managers in the Conditions of the COVID 19 Epidemiological Situation

721

- Participation in seminars for increasing the

knowledge and skills for performing managerial

activity in the epidemiological situation;

- Updating management goals;

- Analysis and synthesis of the results of

healthcare management.

II. Continuous training to improve

management skills:

- Participation in specialized training courses

for care in the epidemiological situation;

- Planning and implementation of new

management activities;

- Participation in management projects.

III. Use and introduction of management

methods and tools, appropriate and applicable in the

epidemiological situation:

- Development and introduction of funds for

planning, organization and control of health care;

- Training and control of medical specialists

on the application and use of protective equipment

and measures at work;

- Implementation of assessment system for

patients on admission;

- Application of standard precautions for all

patients;

- Application of additional precautions.

IV. Development of communication skills and

dealing with conflict situations:

- Planning activities to increase the

effectiveness of communication with staff and

management of conflict situations before they occur.

V. Improving the skills to motivate staff and

apply appropriate management styles:

- Planning and implementing of different

management styles;

- Study of staff motivation and application of

means to stimulate and motivate staff.

4 CONCLUSIONS

The results of the study provide a basis for optimizing

the training for skills acquisition to competent

performance of management functions in a pandemic.

Healthcare managers must have all the necessary

knowledge to prevent and limit the spread of Covid-

19 infection in healthcare facilities. The program for

continuous development of their competencies

requires them to have skills for working with

databases and software products, providing

continuous access to the information needed to make

timely and adequate management decisions.

Continuous training and competence

development of healthcare managers provides

prospects for career development which is a factor for

their motivation. This is an essential aspect of the

human resources development and important part of

the strategy for high competitiveness and sustainable

development of the hospitals.

The program for competence development of

managers will help to increase the quality and

efficiency of health care in the context of the Covid-

19 pandemic. This program must be constantly

adapted in accordance with a system for monitoring

the competencies of health care managers and their

motivation for professional development. In this way,

the functioning of health structures and work

organization will be improved, which is a prerequisite

for quality and efficiency of medical care and a

condition for economic stability of the medical

institution.

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