{"id":3359,"date":"2015-11-24T11:00:26","date_gmt":"2015-11-24T17:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/?p=3359"},"modified":"2015-11-24T10:44:42","modified_gmt":"2015-11-24T16:44:42","slug":"new-job-sheds-fresh-light-for-masters-in-health-administration-student","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stgwww.capella.edu\/blogs\/cublog\/new-job-sheds-fresh-light-for-masters-in-health-administration-student\/","title":{"rendered":"Advanced Learning and a New Job Are Intertwined for Capella Student"},"content":{"rendered":"

A good education can help you land a good job. And a good job may prompt you to seek additional education.<\/p>\n

Both those statements ring true for Cody Bohm, a 31-year-old nurse and father of four who lives in Minnesota. In spring 2015, he enrolled in Capella University\u2019s Master\u2019s in Health Administration<\/a> program, hoping to learn more about leadership. This fall, he accepted a new job as an Emergency Center Associate Patient Care Manager at Park Nicollet-Methodist Hospital in Minneapolis. The timing was no coincidence.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new position is very different from my previous roles. It\u2019s about 10% bedside nursing and 90% leadership,\u201d Bohm says. \u201cThat\u2019s what I was looking for\u2014more leadership experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Lots of factors go into hiring decisions, but Bohm\u2019s new employer was likely impressed that he had taken the initiative to expand and deepen his skill set with additional education. Prompted to get into health care after both of his parents passed away of cancer, Bohm earned a nursing degree at a college in Iowa and worked as a staff nurse at a Minneapolis hospital for two years before switching to a brand new hospital in suburban Maple Grove in 2009. Launching the new operation gave him insight into the administrative side of health care: he helped develop new policies and procedures\u2014and he liked the process.<\/p>\n

\u201cI decided I wanted to go beyond being a staff or charge nurse,\u201d Bohm says. \u201cI thought about becoming an anesthesiologist or nurse practitioner, but it all kind of came down to the leadership aspect. That\u2019s what I was looking for.\u201d<\/p>\n

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In March, he started his first class at Capella, with tuition assistance<\/a> from his employer. Balancing fatherhood with classes hasn\u2019t been easy, he admits. \u201cIt\u2019s a battle,\u201d he says. \u201cBut once you\u2019ve developed a system and figured it out, everything falls into place. I\u2019m finding little ways to make it work.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s paying off, too. His coursework has shed fresh light on several aspects of his chosen profession. Readings and discussions have, for example, touched on government regulations like HIPAA, the federal law that protects patient privacy. Such background has given him a foundational knowledge of the principles and practices that underlie basic HIPAA procedures. \u201cNow I know why<\/em> we do something a particular way, versus just doing it,\u201d Bohm says.<\/p>\n

The tools that Capella provides to students have also impressed Bohm. \u201cThe amount of resources that are just a couple of screens away is amazing. Once you\u2019ve figured it out, it\u2019s very simple and user-friendly. Downloading a book onto your computer is much more convenient than having to go to a bookstore or even look it up online. It flows very nicely.\u201d<\/p>\n

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When a former colleague mentioned a new job opening at Methodist this past summer, Bohm decided to apply. The new position would allow him to gain additional experience in hiring, staff development, performance management and evaluation, discipline, improving patient care, measuring outcomes, and more. Bohm submitted his resume and\u2014after four interviews lasting six hours in all\u2014got an offer.<\/p>\n

The master\u2019s degree will be important to growing future career opportunities, Bohm believes. \u201cI want to advance in my own leadership role as well as advance the careers of others who are doing great nursing work,\u201d he says. \u201cMy goal isn\u2019t necessarily to be a health care CEO. But, hey, if it happens, that\u2019s cool.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Learn more about Capella\u2019s Master of Health Administration degree programs:<\/em><\/p>\n