Healthcare Educator

Answer 1

Healthcare educators, or health educators, educate their communities on health issues like exercise, proper nutrition, and precautions to prevent disease. They disseminate information through several media, including printed pamphlets and signs, educational videos, web sites, and live presentations and classes.

Many healthcare educators work in places where a large group of people live or work, such as college campuses, health care organizations, or large businesses, and develop programs tailored to improve the health of the people in those communities. An educator working in a university environment might put on a program on drug and alcohol safety or sexually-transmitted diseases, while an educator working for a private business might stress the importance of preventative screenings in disease prevention and early treatment. Other healthcare educators teach health classes for middle or high school students, or help the school district develop a curriculum to do so. Some educators work for non-profit, health focused organizations applying for grants or gathering other resources, increasing public awareness of the issues, and lobbying the legislature for support. Healthcare educators also work in medical institutions, giving individualized advice to patients on how their lifestyles may be altered because of a disease or its treatment and what they can do to improve their condition.

Most healthcare educators have a bachelor’s degree in health education, which covers health issues as well as teaching skills. They may also take an exam and complete continuing education courses in order to become Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES). In some states, certification is required to work in public health departments, but other employers may not require it. Experience gained through internships or volunteer positions can also help entry level health educators to be hired. To reach advanced, supervisory, or research positions, educators typically need a graduate degree in health education.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, health educator jobs are expected to grow faster than average. Opportunity to work in secondary education may decrease, however, as schools ask teachers of other subjects to cover health classes to stretch their budgets. The median annual salary for health educators was $44,000 in 2008, but they may earn as little as $26,210 in entry-level positions.