Health Educator

1. Health Educator By Dr/ Thoreia Mohamed Mahmud

2. Outline: • Introduction • Definition of Health Educator • Characteristics of Health educator • Essential Responsibilities and Duties • Qualifications

3. Introduction: The health education field is that multidisciplinary practice which is concerned with designing ,implementing And evaluating educational programs that enable individuals , groups ,organizations and communities to play active roles in achieving , protecting and sustaining health.

4. Definition of Health Educator Health Educator Is participate in promoting, maintaining, and improving individual and community health; to assess individual and community needs; plan, implement and evaluate effective health education and promotion programs; provide and communicate health education information

5. Characteristicsof Health educator • personal Characteristics • Self confidence . • Cheerful ,optimistic. • Has a sense of humor. • Good observer . • Patient . • Fair and objective . • Has physical energy and vitality • Sociable . • Provocateur . • .

6. Flexible . • Respect his learners . • Anticipate individual needs . • Perceiving value of time . • Honest .

7. Professional characteristics: Competent :- Health educator should be :- • Knowledgeable and skillful . • Decision-maker : decide what is important to teach . • Choose appropriate learning material • Provide appropriate learning environment. • Teach home management of special problems. • Monitor learners understanding by asking questions and provide feedback .

8. Caring : • Have sympathy with learner . • Provide encouragement . • Recognize learners needs and concerns . • Show sensitivity to patient mood Communication : • Health educator should communicate effectively by using verbal &non verbal communication

9. Non-verbal communication include :: • Gesture or body language • Facial expression • Eye contact • Paralanguage include: • Voice Volume :high or low • Speaking rate : Is how fast or slow you are speaking

10. Proximiecs : • Personal space . It include the distance between sender and receiver as : Intimate , personal ,and social zone. • Touch : It is an important mean ,it conveys interest ,warmth, and reassurance but should based on culture. • Culture artifacts .

11. Verbal communication This consist of written or spoken words .communication Techniques include : • Active listening. • Using silence. • Broad opening : ex. "What are doing today?". • Use open ended questions. It is open field for communication. • Reflection: reflect what he said. • Restatement: repeating the spoken words as it is. • Paraphrasing: repeating the spoken words in the same • Meaning using another words. • Clarification: ex. "Tell me more about that". • Focusing : make stress on important points.

12. Essential Responsibilities and Duties • Plan, organize, coordinate and participate in the development, administration, and evaluation health education programs • Assess community needs by obtaining and analyzing community data  • Recommend and assist in the implementation of goals and objectives; develop logical scope and sequence plans for providing health education programs  • Recruit community organizations, resource people and potential participants for support and assistance in program planning •  Evaluate operations and activities of assigned responsibilities; recommend improvements and modifications; prepare various reports on operations and activities

13. Prepare written educational materials for distribution to the community; update information as needed    • Maintain cooperative working relationships with public agencies and coordinate health education program activities with those of other departments and outside agencies and organizations  • Attend and participate in various organizations and meetings as assigned  • Act as a resource person in health education; apply appropriate research principles in health education  • Perform related duties as assigned

14. Qualifications Health Educator I: Knowledge of: • Basic principles and practices of community health promotion programming, social marketing, evaluation, and coalition building  • Electronic communications technology  • Current public health issues including, but not limited to, wellness, nutrition, tobacco control, physical fitness, injury prevention and preventive health care 

15. Ability to: • Learn local public health issues including wellness, nutrition, tobacco, physical fitness, and preventive health care  • Assist with the coordination and implementation of assigned health education program  • Learn and apply local policies, procedures, laws and regulations  • Gain cooperation through discussion and persuasion  • Communicate public health issues clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing  • Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with those contacted in the course of work

16. Training and Experience GuidelinesTraining: • Equivalent to a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in community health education, public health education, communications, or a related field. C.H.E.S. (Community Health Education Specialist) certification is highly desirable • Experience: No experience required

17. Health Educator IIIn addition to the qualifications for Health Educator I:Knowledge of: • Advanced principles and practices of community health promotion programming, social marketing, evaluation, and coalition building  • Current public health issues includingwellness, nutrition, tobacco control ,unintentional injury prevention, physical fitness, and preventive health care  • Electronic communications technology 

18. Ability to: • Develop and administer community health education programs  • Coordinate and implement the assigned health education program  • Analyze problems; identify alternative solutions, project consequences of proposed actions and implement programs in support of program goals • Interpret and apply Federal, State, and local policies, procedures, laws and regulations  • Develop community partnerships and coalitions 

19. Act as a public health advocate  • Communicate public health issues clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing  • Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with those contacted in the course of wor

20. Training and Experience Guidelines Training: • Equivalent to a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in community health education, public health education, communications, or a related field. C.H.E.S. (Community Health Education Specialist) certification is highly desirable Experience: • Two years of community health education experience