MPM-program in RU // Useful knowledge and skills for the workplace
María Fjóla Harðardóttir, director of Hrafnista homes
"I wanted to study something that would allow me to build more knowledge on top of my undergraduate studies, but at the same time allow me to work on something completely different if I wanted to," says María Fjóla Harðardóttir, director of Hrafnista homes and a graduate from Reykjavík University's MPM program in 2014.
María is a trained nurse, and when she started the MPM program, she had thought about quitting working in the health sector. She was a little fed up with the stagnation she experienced there. "I felt something was missing. It was obvious in my mind that I wasn't doing anyone any good when I began to experience stagnation in my work, neither clients nor colleagues."
Studying in project management was precisely what María was looking for - a study that she could use to improve herself as a nurse and manager or allow her to do something completely different.
The study was excellent in every way. It exceeded my expectations. I got a lot more out of it than I thought. The program addresses both practical, psychological, and personal aspects when it comes to running a project. You need to know yourself to communicate well with others, for example. It gave me tools to understand how I choose groups and how I manage the groups. This is important whether you are looking at the operation of a company or the operation of special projects with a beginning and an end. What also stood out was how my classmates came from different backgrounds. Because of that, I learned not only from my teachers but just as much from my classmates who were and are full of experience and knowledge.
María says that if she hadn't gone to the MPM program at the time, she wouldn't have realized that she wasn't stagnant as a nurse and bored of working in geriatric care but that she was waiting for her environment to change instead of changing it yourself.
"The project management course in RU showed me that geriatric care is my passion, and I was the one who had to buckle down and make the changes I believe need to be made in collaboration with service recipients and powerful colleagues. The program opened my eyes to the fact that geriatric services are and will continue to be on a journey toward the future with new priorities that increase the quality of services for the elderly. If I hadn't gone to the program, I also wouldn't have met the powerful people I met there and still maintain a good relationship with. I would also undoubtedly have become a tour guide," she laughs.
As mentioned before, María works as the director of the Hrafnista homes, but the job is extensive since the Hrafnista homes are almost the largest healthcare institution in the country. Eight homes in five municipalities; serve well over a thousand people, and about 1700 people work there.
My projects are as diverse as they are many. My role is, among other things, to maintain a direction towards a common future vision, to remove obstacles from the way of my colleagues, and to be involved in making the work environment and culture within Hrafnista so that it is exemplary.
María's education is helpful to her in her work. "It is a great advantage to be a nurse and to understand what services need to be provided to different individuals. It is also a great advantage to understand project management, where all subjects can be broken down into tasks that can be solved correctly. I learned and have experienced that different people have different treasures in the form of knowledge and experience, which can move mountains."
According to María, the future is full of exciting projects with colleagues like she has. "The opportunities are endless; all we need to do is to choose carefully the projects that will lead us towards our vision of creating a safe and reliable service for the elderly where they feel good while being at the forefront of services to the elderly."
The MPM program is an efficient two-year academic program that can be taken alongside professional responsibilities. The programme is designed to provide career-focused training relevant to current industry standards. Students learn how to define, organize, and execute complex projects successfully and receive international certification in project management from the International Project Management Association (IPMA).
