Educator Kelsi Rouse

What I believe to be a Health Educator I think a Health Educator would simply educate people on how to live a healthy lifestyle; such as eating right, drinking lots of water, exercising, and getting the correct amount of rest. They would probably need a bachelor's degree in health science? Health Educators would most likely need to be a life long learners, have good communication skills such as talking clearly and listening attentively, Have a positive attitude, be self motivated, and of course live a healthy lifestyle themselves.

What a Health Educator actually is... Health educators teach others how to live a healthy lifestyle by developing strategies to improve the health of individuals and communities. Their main job is to teach behaviors that promote wellness.

Education and training The minimum degree to become a Health Educator is a bachelor's, although it is common for health educators to hold a master's degree. (certified 2003) One trying to become a health educator would first get a bachelor’s degree in health science and a masters in public health. After that you must complete a health educator exam (and pass). Some colleges that offer a health science program are as follows: Central Michigan University, Eastern Michigan University, University of michigan, Ann Arbor, etc. Completion will take around 6 years.

Classes needed Health Education Public Health Community health Human services Sociology Fitness Health communications

Duties and Responsibilities Health Educators teach people behaviors that promote wellness. They also develop strategies that help others improve their health and prevent disease. They teach people to avoid harmful behaviors, incorporate healthy activities and good decisions in their lives.

Places of employment Hospitals Schools Clinics Colleges Diabetic clinics Health departments Free health screening clinics

Yearly Salary The annual median is $43,840

Job outlook The projected growth is 13%.

Typical day As a Health Educator your day starts off by collecting data about the possible health hazards of a particular community. You then contact the members of the community and discuss certain health concerns with them. After discussing with the members of the community they start to develop programs and activities to help improve their clients health. Health Educators also investigate existing health conditions and suggest ways to improve the communities health.

Skills needed Communication Critical thinking Writing Time Management Persuasion Problem solving Skills I would need to work on are communication and persuasion.

What I find interesting Two things about this career that I find interesting are that they teach both individuals and communities; also I found it interesting that it only takes 6 years to become a health educator.

What I didn’t find interesting I didn’t find workplaces interesting because I pretty much knew where they worked already. Also their annual salary wasn't too interesting for me because it seems a little low.

Is this the job for me? There are high points and low points to this job. I really like that they teach people how to live a healthy life and to keep from spreading disease. I dislike that they don't make that much money. So could I get by with this job? Probably, but in the long run I would most likely seek a new career. It just doesn't seem like me. However, I do feel like education is one of the most important key factors to helping people live healthier lives.

Citation Health educators and community health workers: Occupational outlook handbook: U.S. Bureau of labor statistics. (2015, December 17). Retrieved January 9, 2017, from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/health-educators.htm Health educators. (2016, March 30). Retrieved January 9, 2017, from https://www.bls.gov/OES/current/oes211091.htm http://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/health-educator Study. (2003). Certified health education specialist education requirements. Retrieved January 9, 2017, from http://study.com/certified_health_education_specialist.html Simmers-Nartker, K., Simmers-Kobelak, S., & Simmers, L. M. (2013). Simmers DHO health science (8th ed.). United States: Delmar Cengage Learning.