Public Health Educator

Who Is A Public Health Educator?

A health educator teaches people the ways in which a healthy lifestyle can be followed, and how recovery from ailments can be made through healthy living. As a health educator, you would be expected to advise people on nutritional diets, handling deficiencies through planned dietary intakes and helping people avoid unhealthy habits.

Public Health Educator

Roles & Responsibilities

#1

Raising awareness about healthcare and wellness. The health educator has to find avenues to bring in awareness about the importance of good health and information thereof.

#2

Preparing health education information and materials. The health educator has to collect information and design culturally acceptable material of good quality.

#3

Planning programmes and treatments for patients. Health educators are required to understand medical conditions and health needs of the patients and accordingly design education programmes and treatment schedules.

#4

Supervising subordinate staff. In addition to the regular health awareness activities, the health educator may be required to supervise the working of the subordinate staff. This is particularly applicable to organisations where a  health education department is in place.

#5

Reporting to management. Like any other job, a health educator also has to report to the senior management on his/her or department’s periodic performance.

#6

Raising in-house health education awareness. Health educators, particularly those working in private companies may conduct staff health screenings, design healthy workplace and workplace practices, and encourage healthy habits among staff.

Take the Mentoria career assessment, to find out how well-suited you are as a Public Health Educator.

What Skills Will I Need To Have To Do This Job Well?

As exciting as this sounds, there are some things you’ll need to learn to do the job right:

TEACHING SKILLS

Health educators need to be good teachers. A significant part of this job is to educate people about the benefits of good health and healthy practices which require good teaching skills.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Health educators must have good communication skills. In addition to teaching, the job also requires for a person to be a good listener and a convincing speaker so that he/she can understand the concerns and effectively suggest remedies therefrom.

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

At this job, you must be good at convincing and persuasion. Good interpersonal skills would ensure that the person is good at non-verbal communication as well as at the art of convincing people to follow advice and acknowledge the benefits demonstrated by the health educator.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Health educator should have a good grasp of language and writing skills. The job also requires developing healthcare and wellness materials to be used to advocate health education.

PROBLEM SOLVING

Health education also requires problem-solving skills. The health educator should be able to understand and try to solve the unique problems of patients and offer the best possible solution on an almost real-time basis.

What Will My Workplace Look Like?

The job of a health educator in itself is an office job; however, it doesn’t mean that the person gets to sit for prolonged periods of time in office. Meetings and programmes are a regular part of the job, and thus a health educator needs to spend significant time away from the office. Besides, if the job is related to community health work and service, they need to spend considerable time on the field also. This job is not generally offered to freelancers and is a full-time occupation.

public-health-educator_workenvironment_web_11zon

What Is My Scope For Career Growth As A Health Educator?

Health educators generally work in medical facilities like hospitals, super specialty facilities etc. although government, non-government organisations and organisations involved in community service are also known to employ health educators. Public health internships are a good way to enter the profession. With experience and knowledge, health educators can lead the department in larger organisations. With further seniority, they can assume strategic roles which involve creating or improving health programs through data analysis and demographic studies.

Thinking of a career as a Public Health Educator? Take the Mentoria assessment & talk to our career counsellors to get personalized step-by-step guidance for your future career path. 

How Much Will I Get Paid?

The exact number will depend on your skills, years of research, types of work done projects delivered etc. But we can give you a general idea.

A health educator earns between INR 100,000 to INR 500,000 per annum on a general range in India with the average falling at around INR 260,000. This will of course increase as your work experience increases.

Okay, I'm sold. This is amazing

5-Step Career Roadmap
Highschool_Junior College (4)_11zon

STEP 1: Step 1: Class XI-XII/Junior College

Choose Science stream with a focus on biology and public health.

Graduation

STEP 2: Graduate Degree

It is advisable that someone aspiring to be a health educator pursue a graduate degree in health education or health promotion. These courses help the student to understand the methods and theories as well as to develop information material.

Step 3: Internship

An internship further helps the students to understand the role of a health educator better as interaction with patients is also done in addition to theoretical knowledge and material development, along with finding the right mentors to guide you.

Step 4: Land a Job

Health educators can apply for relevant positions in government departments related to public health, public as well as private hospitals, other healthcare service providers, non-governmental organisations etc.

Congratulations, you are now officially a Health Educator!

Post Grad Degree (1)

Step 5: Specialised Certifications

Certifications like Certified Health Education Specialist are available which further boost the career graph of a health educator. Students looking for a long-term and successful career in health education can opt for this or similar other certification courses.

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