Health Educators

Description

Provide and manage health education programs that help individuals, families, and their communities maximize and maintain healthy lifestyles. Collect and analyze data to identify community needs prior to planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating programs designed to encourage healthy lifestyles, policies, and environments. May serve as a resource to assist individuals, other healthcare workers, or the community, and may administer fiscal resources for health education programs.

Tasks

Develop and present health education and promotion programs, such as training workshops, conferences, and school or community presentations.
Develop and maintain cooperative working relationships with agencies and organizations interested in public health care.
Develop educational materials and programs for community agencies, local government, and state government.
Prepare and distribute health education materials, such as reports, bulletins, and visual aids, to address smoking, vaccines, and other public health concerns.
Supervise professional and technical staff in implementing health programs, objectives, and goals.
Document activities and record information, such as the numbers of applications completed, presentations conducted, and persons assisted.
Collaborate with health specialists and civic groups to determine community health needs and the availability of services and to develop goals for meeting needs.
Provide guidance to agencies and organizations on assessment of health education needs and on development and delivery of health education programs.
Maintain databases, mailing lists, telephone networks, and other information to facilitate the functioning of health education programs.
Design and conduct evaluations and diagnostic studies to assess the quality and performance of health education programs.
Develop operational plans and policies necessary to achieve health education objectives and services.
Provide program information to the public by preparing and presenting press releases, conducting media campaigns, or maintaining program-related web sites.
Design and administer training programs for new employees and continuing education for existing employees.
Develop, conduct, or coordinate health needs assessments and other public health surveys.
Develop, prepare, and coordinate grant applications and grant-related activities to obtain funding for health education programs and related work.
Develop and maintain health education libraries to provide resources for staff and community agencies.

Knowledge

Education and Training: Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Clerical: Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
Psychology: Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Therapy and Counseling: Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Communications and Media: Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Sociology and Anthropology: Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

Skills

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities

Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Work Activities

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Communicating with Persons Outside Organization: Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Training and Teaching Others: Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Work Context

Electronic Mail: How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
Telephone: How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled: How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Work With Work Group or Team: How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
Deal With External Customers: How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
Coordinate or Lead Others: How important is it to coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities in this job?
Frequency of Decision Making: How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
Face-to-Face Discussions: How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Freedom to Make Decisions: How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results: How do the decisions an employee makes impact the results of co-workers, clients or the company?

Interests

Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Enterprising: Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Investigative: Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Artistic: Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Conventional: Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Work Style

Integrity: Job requires being honest and ethical.
Cooperation: Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Dependability: Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Initiative: Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Concern for Others: Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Independence: Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Leadership: Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Attention to Detail: Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Social Orientation: Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
Achievement/Effort: Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.

Work Values

Relationships: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Independence: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Achievement: Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Working Conditions: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Recognition: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Support: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.

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Lay Titles

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Clinical Instructor

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Community Educator

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Family Services Consultant

Health Education Specialist

Health Educator

Health Promotion Specialist

Nurse Educator

Public Health Advisor

Public Health Analyst

Public Health Educator

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Trainer

National Wages and Employment Info

Median Wages (2008):: $23.46 hourly, $48,790 annual.

Employment (2008):: 55,270 employees