Professionals working in health education careers play a very important role in the healthcare system. A health educator can teach people how to recognize signs of disease and effectively manage a medical condition. Through health education patients often are able to improve their quality of life. Educators may often focus on disease prevention, which also helps reduce healthcare costs. Health educators are hired by a wide variety of industries.
There are several different types of health education careers to choose from. Some educators chose to work as a health teacher for schools, including colleges. Health teachers educate students on a variety of topics including nutrition, substance abuse prevention, and birth control. Health educators for schools may need to having a teaching credential or a master's degree in education.
One option for those interested in health education careers is working for a hospital. Hospital health educators may teach group classes in childbirth education, diabetes management and asthma education. Educators may also work one on one with patients to provide them with resources and teach them how to adjust to a specific condition, such as a colostomy or amputation.
In addition to teaching patients, hospital hea.th educators may also develop and implement education programs for staff. For instance, educators may teach classes for medical professionals, such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or pediatric advanced life support. They may also provide classes and educational material for staff on topics, such as stress reduction and weight management. The requirements may vary by facility, however hospital health educators may need to be licensed as a registered nurse, nutritionist, respiratory therapist or have a master's degree in health education or a closely related field.
Businesses are also an option for those seeking health education careers. Companies may hire a corporate health educator to develop a corporate wellness programs, complete health screens and teach classes, such as smoking cessation and weigh loss tips to employees. By teaching employees how to live a healthy lifestyle, educators may help reduce absenteeism and improve productivity among employees.
Other career options for health educators includes working for public health programs and non-profit agencies as a public health educator. This type of health educator may develop and implement programs to educate the community on issues, such as sexually transmitted disease prevention. Public health educators may also write grants in order to obtain funding for community education programs.
Individuals involved in health education careers may do more than teach classes. Some educators may conduct research and assess community education health needs. Educators may also develop outreach programs on issues, such as immunization and infant nutrition.
