Introduction
The SWOT analysis is usually done for companies to understand whether they are viable and what strategies should be taken to get the best results. However, this framework can also be applied when researching a person as a professional. Every potential or current employee is a resource that can be evaluated by skills and external factors. Below is a SWOT analysis of me as a health care professional.
Strengths
I identify three skills as my main strengths, which are compassion, listening, and education. Compassion is crucial when working with patients (Baughan & Smith, 2013, p. 2). They usually feel insecure about their health condition, and being attentive to them is what makes a great doctor or a nurse. It is also important to listen to patients. While guiding them is an essential part of the treatment process, listening is often required to better understand their needs. Happy patients bring value to a hospital as their satisfaction is one of the quality outcome measurements. I could be a very important employee of a clinic due to these communication skills. Moreover, I am currently receiving an education in one of the best institutions in the region that has a great technical base, which would potentially look attractive for my future employees.
Weaknesses
My main weaknesses are the lack of practice, poor conflict management, and family orientation. I have devoted much time to study the theory, yet I do not possess many skills in performing necessary procedures. My next step would be to improve this situation. However, the inability to handle conflicts bothers me more. Working with patients implies that sometimes there will be situations of discontent that I would have to handle. I find conflicts to be very stressful and distracting. Finally, I am devoted to my family, and I would choose to spend more time with them, which does not picture me as the best worker in the view of my potential employees.
Opportunities
Work in health care demands a lot of specialists, which is the main opportunity in this field. Another one is based on the fact that the population is aging and more people require health care services. Finally, there are new methods of treatment currently being discovered, and implementing them in hospitals would require management to hire an additional workforce.
Threats
One of the main threats that face me as a professional is the high turnover rate (Portoghese, Galetta, Battistelli, & Leiter, 2015). I am afraid to face this issue especially at the beginning of my career. Another threat is economic instability. I cannot predict what would be the salaries and whether they will be sufficient for me. Finally, the process of technology development makes me wonder if my duties will stay required.
Implications
Various guides explain what skills are required for successful nurses. I have used them to understand whether I possess the necessary qualification and thus would be competitive in this field. Moreover, I have researched the market to identify the latest trends in the health care industry. This step helped me to develop an understanding of the external environment that influences my profession. I can use this SWOT analysis to focus on my strengths and to improve any weak sides I have. While the overview of the current industry situation is helpful, certain considerations of changes should also exist.
References
Baughan, J., & Smith, A. (2013). Compassion, caring, and communication: Skills for nursing practice. New York, NY: Routledge.
Portoghese, I. Galletta, M., Battistelli, A., & Leiter, M. P. (2015). A multilevel investigation on nursing turnover intention: The cross-level role of leader-member exchange. Journal of Nursing Management, 23(6), 754-764.