Ottavia Rusca
From practical experience to leadership: developing your skills by leading a real-world project with the DAS in Healthcare Management
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Ottavia Rusca, Healthcare Director at Spitex Tre Valli, tells us about the DAS in Gestione sanitaria: an experience that goes beyond theory and represents a crucial step for those in management roles within the healthcare sector. It is a demanding programme, to be approached with an open mind and curiosity, which offers the opportunity to step outside one’s comfort zone and fosters profound growth, both as professionals and as individuals.
Who are you and what do you do?
I have been a general nurse since 1996. I have gained extensive experience in a hospital setting, particularly in the A&E department, specialising in emergency care and A&E. After 15 years, a desire to broaden my skills led me into the pre-hospital sector, working for the Mendrisiotto Ambulance Service. Here I held the roles of both emergency nurse and training manager. At the same time, I completed a three-year degree in Education and Training Sciences.
During the pandemic, I felt the need to move into a new professional field, thus beginning my experience in home care and support. I currently work at Spitex Tre Valli, where I started as a nurse and have held the role of Healthcare Director since 2024. The transition from emergency care to home care has proved to be a very positive experience: in this context too, I have found a stimulating environment that has renewed and strengthened my interest in the nursing profession.
Why did you choose to enrol on the DAS in Healthcare Management?
In my role as Medical Director, the DAS in Healthcare Management represented a fundamental and essential step in my professional development. It provided me with practical tools to develop interpersonal, strategic and leadership skills, which are indispensable in an increasingly complex sector that has, in recent years, also been marked by a growing exodus from the profession. Today, holding management roles requires a solid understanding of how to navigate complexity, deal with constant change and manage human resources effectively. Interacting with my fellow students was a particularly enriching experience: it fostered a broader view of the healthcare network and facilitated exchanges with organisations and healthcare settings different from my own, offering concrete ideas for improving the quality of care. My educational journey is continuing with the MAS in Healthcare Management.Was there a module, a lesson or an experience that made a particular impression on you during the training?
Of all the modules, the one focusing on quality proved particularly useful and practical for my professional work. It provided me with practical tools to analyse and improve care processes, promote a culture of quality within the team, and guide decisions towards increasingly safe and effective care. This approach has enabled me to analyse organisational dynamics in a more structured way and to identify areas for improvement with greater insight. The content on leadership has also had a significant impact on the way I work. In particular, it has helped me to better understand the dynamics of team management and the importance of adapting one’s leadership style to suit different situations, people and objectives. I have become more attuned to recognising when to encourage participation and autonomy, thereby helping to create a more collaborative and effective working environment.
The DAS in Healthcare Management offers an experience that goes beyond theory: you had the opportunity to work on a real-world project (the feasibility of a day centre for psychiatric patients), collaborating with fellow students, lecturers, professionals and other organisations, whilst also building new relationships. Could you tell us what this experience meant to you?
Working on a real-world project, such as the feasibility study for the opening of a therapeutic day centre for psychiatric patients aged over 65, was a particularly meaningful experience. Developing a proposal for an external client allowed us to explore aspects that are rarely addressed in daily practice or in traditional training programmes, whilst offering the opportunity to collaborate with a local healthcare organisation and liaise with the relevant cantonal authorities. The project required a comprehensive and detailed analysis: from regulatory aspects to finding a location, structuring the medical records, right through to billing models, staffing arrangements and assessing financial sustainability. This holistic approach allowed us to gain a practical understanding of the complexity involved in setting up a new healthcare service. Being appointed as the group coordinator provided a further opportunity for growth. I was able to develop skills in delegation, coordination and supervision, learning to make the most of individuals’ abilities whilst maintaining an overview of the project. It was a comprehensive learning experience, combining theoretical knowledge, practical skills and interpersonal abilities.
What advice would you give to anyone thinking of embarking on this continuing professional development programme?
To anyone about to embark on the DAS programme in Healthcare Management, I would first and foremost advise approaching it with an open mind and curiosity, seizing the opportunity to step outside your comfort zone. It is a demanding programme, but precisely for this reason it offers tangible growth on both a professional and personal level. I would suggest making the most of discussions with your fellow students: coming from different backgrounds, they are a valuable resource for broadening your view of the healthcare system and for enriching yourself through different experiences and perspectives. It is also important to maintain a strong link with your own work environment, trying to apply the tools and concepts you have learnt right from the start. This allows you to put your training into practice and consolidate your skills more effectively. Finally, I would advise actively engaging in group work, which offers a practical opportunity to develop skills in collaboration, leadership and managing team dynamics – all of which are fundamental in managerial roles.