I want to transition from direct patient care to healthcare administration to influence care systems and ensure patients receive equitable and safe, timely care in the future. In the years I have worked in the healthcare field, I have discovered that the quality of care is more significantly related to the leadership and organizational design than to the individual clinician as a licensed vocational nurse, nursing instructor, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and doctoral candidate. These objectives will be addressed in three phases: operational leadership (short), program leadership (medium) and executive leadership (long-term).
My short-term objective is to achieve a leadership position (clinical director, director of nursing or quality and patient safety manager) at a long-term care or behavioral health organization. From this point or during my tenure in any of these positions, my emphasis will be creating staffing models that will keep residents and staff safe, improve medication safety processes and make sure that state and federal regulations are followed (Trepanier et al., 2024). I want to develop financial and operational abilities which are not taught in clinical training, such as budgeting, workforce planning, and performance measurement to support my decisions based on data as well as clinical judgment. I want to develop these skills formally by continuing with my doctoral education and developing myself further as a leader through the attainment of additional leadership credentials.
My medium-term goal is to become a leader in a behavioral health service line or multi-site program. Access to mental health services is still poor, and few mental health services have systems in place to link the care they provide with primary care and long-term care. I want to work towards closing those gaps by normalizing prescribing safety protocols, increasing access to psychiatric services, and minimizing preventable adverse events through approved healthcare programs. I will employ quality improvement to establish measurable goals, measure results and adapt practice in light of evidence. Success will be measured by reduced adverse events, improved staff retention, and enhanced patient/family experience. Notably, when healthcare staff is satisfied, it means that they will stay in the organization and the quality of care offered within the facility is improved. In addition, I want to create teams where nurses, doctors, pharmacists and administrators are held accountable for the outcomes of the team.
My future or long-term plans include working in an executive management position, such as Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) or Chief Operating Officer (COO) and having a wider impact on the organization’s strategy, policy, and resource allocation. As a top-level executive, I will be promoting cultures that support staff to speak up when they see a safety hazard, foster workforce development and equitable access to care for underserved communities. I also plan to continue engaging in nursing education to mentor the next generation of nurses and leaders to create “real world” administrators. I hope to also serve on boards and committees in professional associations and policy forums that impact long-term care and behavioral health oversight.
Projected change in jobs, 2025–35, percent
- Nurse practitioners: 41 percent.
- Medical and health services managers: 24 percent.
- Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary: 17 percent.
- Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses: 3 percent.
BLS has no occupation for the plan the statement describes, so each bar is the nearest group: nurse practitioners for the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner role, and medical and health services managers for posts such as clinical director or director of nursing. Posts such as Chief Operating Officer sit in other BLS groups and are not shown. The projections are for the whole United States, not for long-term care or behavioral health alone.
Chart by Writers Per Hour from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: nurse practitioners, medical and health services managers, postsecondary teachers (nursing instructors and teachers) and licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses (median pay May 2025, projections 2025–35; pages read 7 November 2026). BLS data are in the public domain. The statement does not cite these figures.
Show every figure as a table
| Occupation | Projected change in jobs, 2025–35 (percent) | Median pay, 2025 (US dollars a year) | Jobs, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse practitioners | 41 | $132,300 | 336,300 |
| Medical and health services managers | 24 | $123,860 | 640,400 |
| Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary | 17 | $80,250 | 96,100 |
| Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses | 3 | $64,400 | 666,900 |
These goals are part of a strategic continuum from clinical care to systems-level leadership. I want to be a clinical leader, a good administrator, who is focused on patient safety and access. Each step is dependent upon the previous one and puts my patients at the core of my decisions. I want to dedicate myself to the discipline and integrity of healthcare administration, so that I can continue to make an impact on the entire community, not just individual patients.
