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Health Educator - Career Profile |
Career OverviewHealth educators are an important part of any community’s health education programs. In an effort to promote, maintain and improve healthy lifestyles, they provide vital information to communities and to individuals. Health educators inform people on such important issues as alcohol and substance abuse, smoking, safe sex, nutrition, high blood pressure, diabetes, hygiene, pregnancy and environmental concerns.
Health educators also collect and analyze data for the purpose of researching, designing and presenting programs for preventative health care. Health educators must be skilled at informing and organizing community groups in order to confront concerns and issues that affect the health of the community. Health educators are frequently responsible for writing newsletters, public information reports, grant proposals, and various kinds of educational material that keep people informed on various aspects of public health.
Health educators can specialize in various areas that include public health, clinical health, industrial health, community health and school health. A health educator’s main goal is to prevent disease and encourage healthy lifestyles. He or she does this through the spread of knowledge and by changing unhealthy behaviour or activities.
Health educators must be skilled at planning good programs and implementing them. They must be prepared to be resourceful people to whom all of the staff of a Health Department can turn for information and guidance. Health educators must be creative and innovative in dealing with health related problems and making the public aware of the problems. They must be mature and tactful in dealing with people, especially when a health related problem is connected to a cultural aspect. Health educators must have good communications skills, and should be able to speak publicly.
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Career RequirementsHigh school students interested in careers as health educators should take courses in biology, algebra, English, public speaking, geometry, social sciences, behavioral sciences, writing, computer skills, and health occupations/medical professions education. Students who wish to become certified as health educators must first receive a bachelor’s degree in health education/promotion, community health or public health.
They must then pass a comprehensive exam given by the Commission for Health Education Credentialing. Upon passing the exam the student will be recognized as a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES). Students who wish to further their education in this field can pursue a master of public health degree or a doctoral (PhD) degree.
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Job OutlookHealth educators are very much in demand by health departments, various community organizations, private corporations, insurance companies, volunteer organizations, industrial worksites, schools, colleges and government organizations. Because of the growing importance of preventative health care, the job outlook for health educators is very good. A job market growth of between 21% and 35% is predicted through the end of the decade.
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Career TrackHealth educators can work in a variety of settings, including colleges and universities, community health centres, hospitals, schools, Public Health departments and a variety of other government departments. Opportunities for advancement are good.
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CompensationA health educator’s salary varies with the person’s experience, the geographic location and the employer. The average starting salary is about $21,000 a year. This can go up to anywhere from $44,000 to $59,000.
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