HCS 305 Week 4 Professional Skills and Competency Self-Assessment Example

Reviewed by Lenora Whitcombe, MSN, RN · University of Phoenix · Updated

This HCS 305 Week 4 example assesses one student's professional skills against a national competency model for health care managers, using ratings from three sources rather than self-report alone, and the APA 7 paper comes afterward. University of Phoenix HCS 305, which the catalog lists as HCS/305, uses its fourth week to have health administration students measure where they stand before planning where to go. Its subject is again the composite EMT preparing for ambulance operations or hospital patient flow management. It rates him across the five domains of a model shared by health care management associations, compares his self-ratings with those of his supervisor and a coworker, uses a second competency model to break the weakest domain into specific skills and explains why self-assessment alone tends to mislead. It ends with the three competencies he will develop first and evidence he will collect to show growth.

CourseHCS 305 Health Care Professional Development (HCS/305)
Week4
Paper typeCompetency self-assessment
Lengthabout 1,006 words, 4 double-spaced pages plus title page and references
FormatAPA 7 student paper
SchoolUniversity of Phoenix
ProgramBS in Health Administration
UpdatedSeptember 2026

Free sample paper for HCS 305 Week 4

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Rated by Myself, My Supervisor and a Coworker: A Three-Source Competency Self-Assessment for an EMT Preparing for Health Care Management

[Student Name]

University of Phoenix

HCS/305: Health Care Professional Development

Week 4 Assignment

[Instructor Name]

[Date]

The student, the ratings and the feedback are composites written for a model paper; competency models and research come from the sources listed.

What this part is doingThe title names the three rating sources, which signals from the start that the assessment is built to catch blind spots.
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I expected my communication skills to be my strongest area. Seven years of calming frightened patients, briefing emergency physicians in 30 seconds and training new EMTs seemed like proof. When my supervisor rated me, she scored my communication a full point lower than I had. Her reason was specific: I explain well face to face but write incident reports and emails that leave people guessing. This paper assesses my competencies for health care management using three sources and a national model.

Why Three Sources

Self-ratings are a starting point, not a verdict. People tend to rate themselves generously on skills they value and harshly on skills they have never tried, and they cannot see how their behavior lands on others.

I rated myself, then asked my operations manager and a senior paramedic who has worked with me for five years to rate me on the same scale, one for novice to five for expert, and to give an example for each rating.

The Framework

Stefl (2008) described the Healthcare Leadership Alliance model, developed by major health care management associations, which identified five domains of competence common to health care managers, which I list in the order I rated them below. I used these domains to organize the ratings.

What this part is doingA shared framework makes the three sets of ratings comparable, which is the point of gathering them.
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Communication and Relationship Management

Self: 4. Supervisor: 3. Coworker: 4. Example: strong verbal communication with patients and hospital staff; written reports and emails often lack a clear point and next step.

Leadership

Self: 3. Supervisor: 3. Coworker: 4. Example: trusted by crews and effective as a field training officer; no experience leading a project, budget or performance conversation.

Professionalism

Self: 4. Supervisor: 4. Coworker: 5. Example: reliable, respected, known for honesty after errors; the coworker cited my handling of a medication error I reported myself.

Knowledge of the Health Care Environment

Self: 4. Supervisor: 4. Coworker: 4. Example: deep knowledge of local hospitals, destination policies and EMS regulations; limited knowledge of hospital finance and payer contracts.

Business Skills and Knowledge

Self: 2. Supervisor: 2. Coworker: 2. Example: no budgeting, financial analysis or data reporting experience. All three agreed.

Where the Ratings Agree

All three sources agree that business skills are my weakest domain and professionalism and environmental knowledge my strongest. Agreement from several sources makes these findings more reliable.

Where They Disagree

My supervisor sees my written communication as weaker than I do, and my coworker sees my leadership as stronger than I do. The disagreements are the most useful part of the assessment, because each points to something I could not see from where I stand. My coworker sees my field leadership; my supervisor sees what leadership looks like in the office, which I have not yet done.

What this part is doingDisagreements are analyzed rather than averaged away, which is how multi-source feedback earns its value.
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Breaking Down the Weakest Domain

Business skills is a broad label. Calhoun et al. (2008) described the national leadership center's competency model, which includes more specific competencies such as financial skills, analytical thinking, information seeking and performance measurement. Rated against these, my weakest are financial skills and performance measurement; my information seeking is stronger, since I research protocols and destinations constantly.

Why Feedback Matters

Sonnino (2016), reviewing health care leadership development, emphasized that effective programs build on assessment and feedback and that leaders need skills in areas beyond clinical training, including finance, strategy and managing people. Clinicians moving into management often underestimate how different those skills are from the ones that made them successful in the field.

How I Asked for Feedback

I gave both raters the five domains with a one-line description of each, asked for a rating and one example and promised not to argue with anything they wrote. I met each afterward for 15 minutes to ask questions. My supervisor added that I rarely volunteer for committee work, which she sees as a leadership signal; I had not thought of it that way.

What Surprised Me

I expected leadership to be my second-weakest area. Instead, my coworker's high rating reminded me that crews already look to me on difficult calls. The gap is not whether I can lead but whether I can lead in the office: budgets, schedules, meetings and written plans.

Strengths to Build On

My knowledge of the environment and professionalism are assets for an operations role. Crews trust supervisors who have done the work, and hospitals trust people who know their constraints.

Priority One: Financial Skills

Complete my finance course with a grade of B or better, ask to shadow the operations manager during the next budget cycle and build a cost-per-transport estimate for one station.

Priority Two: Performance Measurement

Build a monthly offload delay report from our dispatch data and present it at a staff meeting.

Priority Three: Written Communication

Use a simple structure for every incident report and email: what happened, what it means and what should happen next. Ask my supervisor to review three reports a month for two months.

Using the Results With My Mentor

I will share the ratings with my operations manager at our first mentoring meeting and ask her to watch for progress in the three priority areas, especially written communication, where her view differs most from mine.

What I Will Not Prioritize Yet

Formal leadership of a large team will come with a supervisor role; for now, leading the new-hire orientation is enough.

Evidence of Growth

A finance course grade, a budget analysis I can show in an interview, six monthly offload reports and a repeat of the three-source ratings in one year.

How the Priorities Connect to My Goal

Operations supervisors build budgets, report performance to the county and write constantly. My three priorities are the tasks I watched my supervisor perform when I shadowed her.

Conclusion

A three-source assessment against a national competency model confirmed strengths in professionalism and environmental knowledge, revealed a blind spot in written communication and located my largest gap in financial skills and performance measurement. Three focused priorities with evidence of progress give me a practical path toward management.

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References

Calhoun, J. G., Dollett, L., Sinioris, M. E., Wainio, J. A., Butler, P. W., Griffith, J. R., & Warden, G. L. (2008). Development of an interprofessional competency model for healthcare leadership. Journal of Healthcare Management, 53(6), 375-389. https://doi.org/10.1097/00115514-200811000-00006

Sonnino, R. E. (2016). Health care leadership development and training: Progress and pitfalls. Journal of Healthcare Leadership, 8, 19-29. https://doi.org/10.2147/JHL.S68068

Stefl, M. E. (2008). Common competencies for all healthcare managers: The Healthcare Leadership Alliance model. Journal of Healthcare Management, 53(6), 360-373. https://doi.org/10.1097/00115514-200811000-00004

What the HCS 305 Week 4 instructions ask

HCS 305 Week 4 commonly asks students to assess their professional skills and competencies for a health care career. Prompts may ask students to use a competency model or assessment tool, rate their strengths and weaknesses, gather feedback and identify skills to develop. Some sections provide a specific tool; others ask students to choose one. Papers generally run two or three pages with sources, sometimes with a scored tool attached. Strong papers use a recognized framework, support ratings with examples, include perspectives beyond the student's own, are candid about weaknesses and choose a small number of development priorities tied to the career goal.

How this HCS 305 Week 4 example is built

The paper begins with a surprise: the student rated his communication skills higher than his supervisor did. It explains why he used three sources: self, supervisor and a senior coworker. The five domains of a model shared by health care management associations organize the ratings, each with an example. The comparison shows where the ratings agree and disagree and what the gaps mean. A second model, developed by a national leadership center, breaks business skills into more specific competencies such as financial skills and analytical thinking. Research on leadership development explains the value of feedback. Three priorities and the evidence of growth he will collect close the paper.

HCS 305 Week 4 grading rubric: where the points go

The self-assessment week is usually graded on rigor and honesty. Faculty look for use of a recognized competency model, ratings supported by specific examples, candid identification of weaknesses and a sensible choice of priorities. Including feedback from others or an assessment tool earns credit because it moves beyond self-perception. Linking competencies to the student's career goal shows purpose. A table can organize ratings if it is explained, and a short note on how feedback was gathered adds credibility. Writing and APA style complete the score. Assessments that rate everything as strong, lack examples or choose ten priorities usually earn less than assessments that find real gaps and focus on the few that matter most.

HCS 305 Week 4 help: mistakes to avoid

The main pitfall in HCS 305 Week 4 is the flattering self-portrait. Most people overrate some skills and underrate others, so gather at least one outside view. Another is ratings without evidence; give an example for each. Students also pick competencies at random; choose a model and use its domains. Look for disagreements between your ratings and others', since they reveal blind spots. Break broad domains into specific skills you can practice. Limit priorities to two or three. Tie each to your career goal and to a task in the job you want. Finally, say how you will show growth, such as a project, a course grade or a repeat of the feedback in a year.

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HCS 305 Week 4 questions, answered

What does HCS/305 Week 4 usually ask for?

Many sections ask students to assess their professional skills using a competency model or tool, identify strengths and weaknesses and choose skills to develop for a health care career.

Where can I find a free HCS 305 Week 4 sample paper?

The three-source competency self-assessment can be read at no cost; notes in the margin discuss each rating. A first custom paper using your own ratings is also free.

What are the five domains of the Healthcare Leadership Alliance model?

Leadership; professionalism; communication and relationships; business skills and knowledge; and knowing the health care environment.

Why include other people's ratings in a self-assessment?

Self-ratings often differ from how others see us, so outside feedback reveals blind spots and makes development priorities more accurate.

How many development priorities should I choose?

Usually two or three, tied to your career goal, so you can give each enough attention to show real progress.

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