Discussion: The Role of the Public Health Educator

 

How have public health education efforts touched your own life or that of your family or friends? Have these efforts improved your quality of life, increased your personal wellness, or even addressed broad social issues that impact you? Every day, public health education makes a positive contribution to the lives of millions. Public health educators are frequently a driving force behind these beneficial outcomes. What, then, are the roles of public health educators? What skills and competencies do public health educators need in order to fulfill these roles?

To prepare for this Discussion:

• Review the role of the public health educator as discussed in Chapter 1 of the Cottrell, Girvan, and McKenzie course text. Consider the role of the public health educator in promoting public health.
• Explore public health education job boards such as those listed in this week’s Learning Resources: American Public Health Association (APHA) CareerMart, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health Employment Connection, or Walden University Job and Internship Search. Evaluate the skills that employers require for public health educators.
• Complete the Seven Area of Responsibility: Self-Assessment Activity and reflect upon the results. The Self-Assessment Activity is located in the Learning Resources.
• Consider the job outlook for health educators/health education specialists.

By Day 4

Post a comprehensive response to the following:

• Summarize your reflection on the self-assessment activities. Comment on skills and competencies you would like to further develop based on your results
• A brief analysis of the role of the public health educator within the field of public health addressing the three prompts above
• A rationale for what you consider to be the three most important skills and/or competencies required of public health educators
• Which of these skillsets do you feel you have? Which would you like to improve on?

Support your posting with information from the Learning Resources. Be sure to cite references in APA format.

Seven Areas of Responsibility: Self-Assessment
Documentation of Experience, Skill, and Competence

Scale:
4

High level of skill –
experience

1
No experience

2
Low level of skill –

experience

3
Moderate level of
skill – experience

p. 1

4321RESPONSIBILITY I: ASSESSING INDIVIDUAL AND COMMUNITY NEEDS FOR HEALTH EDUCATION

Competency A: Obtain health-related data about social and cultural environments, growth and
development factors, needs, and interests.
1. Select valid sources of information about health needs and interests.
2. Utilize computerized sources of health-related information.
3. Employ or develop appropriate data-gathering instruments.
4. Apply survey techniques to acquire health data.

Competency B: Distinguish between behaviors that foster and those that hinder well-being.

1. Investigate physical, social, emotional, and intellectual factors influencing health behaviors.
2. Identify behaviors that tend to promote or compromise health.
3. Recognize the role of learning and affective experience in shaping patterns of health behavior.

Competency C: Infer needs for health education on the basis of obtained data.

1. Analyze needs assessment data.
2. Determine priority areas of need for health education.

Seven Areas of Responsibility: Self-Assessment
Documentation of Experience, Skill, and Competence
Scale:
4
High level of skill –
experience
1
No experience
2
Low level of skill –
experience
3
Moderate level of
skill – experience

p. 2

4321RESPONSIBILITY II: PLANNING EFFECTIVE HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Competency A: Recruit community organizations, resource people, and potential participants for support
and assistance in program planning.
1. Communicate need for the program to those who will be involved.
2. Obtain commitments from personnel and decision makers who will be involved in the program.
3. Seek ideas and opinions of those who will affect, or be affected by, the program.
4. Incorporate feasible ideas and recommendations into the planning process.

Competency B: Develop a logical scope and sequence plan for a health education program.

1. Determine the range of health information requisite to a given program of instruction.
2. Organize the subject areas composing the scope of a program in logical sequ

ence.

Competency C: Formulate appropriate and measurable program objectives.

Competency D: Design educational programs consistent with specified program objectives.

1. Develop intereducational objectives that facilitate achievement of specified competencies.
2. Develop a framework of broadly stated, operational objectives relevant to a proposed health education program.

1. Match proposed learning activities with those implicit in the stated objectives.
2. Formulate a wide variety of alternative educational methods.
3. Select strategies best suited to implementation of educational objectives in a given setting.
4. Plan a sequence of learning opportunities building upon, and reinforcing mastery of, preceding objectives.

Seven Areas of Responsibility: Self-Assessment
Documentation of Experience, Skill, and Competence
Scale:
4
High level of skill –
experience
1
No experience
2
Low level of skill –
experience
3
Moderate level of
skill – experience

p. 3

4321RESPONSIBILITY III: IMPLEMENTING HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Competency A: Exhibit competence in carrying out planned educational programs.

1. Employ a wide range of educational methods and techniques.
2. Apply individual or group process methods as appropriate to given learning situations.
3. Utilize instructional equipment and other instructional media effectively.
4. Select methods that best facilitate practice of program objectives.

Competency B: Infer enabling objectives, as needed, to implement instructional programs in specified
settings.
1. Pretest learners to ascertain present abilities and knowledge relative to proposed program objectives.
2. Develop subordinate measurable objectives as needed for instruction.

Competency C: Select methods and media best suited to implement program plans for specific learners.

Competency D: Monitor educational programs, adjusting objectives and activities as necessary.

1. Analyze learner characteristics, legal aspects, feasibility, and other considerations influencing choices among methods.
2. Evaluate the efficacy of alternative methods and techniques capable of facilitating program objectives.
3. Determine the availability of information, personnel, time, and equipment needed to implement the program for a given audi-

ence.

1. Compare actual program activities with the stated objectives.
2. Assess the relevance of existing program objectives to current needs.
3. Revise program activities and objectives as necessitated by changes in learner needs.
4. Appraise applicability of resources and materials relative to given educational objectives.

Seven Areas of Responsibility: Self-Assessment
Documentation of Experience, Skill, and Competence
Scale:
4
High level of skill –
experience
1
No experience
2
Low level of skill –
experience
3
Moderate level of
skill – experience

p. 4

4321RESPONSIBILITY IV: EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Competency A: Develop plans to assess achievement of program objectives.

1. Determine standards of performance to be applied as criteria of effectiveness.
2. Establish a realistic scope of evaluation efforts.
3. Develop an inventory of existing valid and reliable tests and survey instruments.
4. Select appropriate methods for evaluating program effectiveness.

Competency B: Carry out evaluation plans.

1. Facilitate administration of the tests and activities specified in the plan.
2. Utilize data-collecting methods appropriate to the objectives.
3. Analyze resulting evaluation data.

Competency C: Interpret results of program evaluation.

Competency D: Infer implications from findings for future program planning.

1. Apply criteria of effectiveness to obtained results of a program.
2. Translate evaluation results into terms easily understood by others.
3. Report effectiveness of educational programs in achieving proposed objectives.

1. Explore possible explanations for important evaluation findings.
2. Recommend strategies for implementing results of evaluation.

Seven Areas of Responsibility: Self-Assessment
Documentation of Experience, Skill, and Competence
Scale:
4
High level of skill –
experience
1
No experience
2
Low level of skill –
experience
3
Moderate level of
skill – experience

p. 5

4321RESPONSIBILITY V: COORDINATING PROVISION OF HEALTH EDUCATION SERVICES

Competency A: Develop a plan for coordinating health education services.

1. Determine the extent of available health education services.
2. Match health education services to proposed program activities.
3. Identify gaps and overlaps in the provision of collaborative health services.

Competency B: Facilitate cooperation between and among levels of program personnel.

1. Promote cooperation and feedback among personnel related to the program.
2. Apply various methods for conflict reduction as needed.
3. Analyze the role of health educator as liaison between program staff and outside groups and organizations.

Competency C: Formulate practical modes of collaboration among health agencies and organizations.

Competency D: Organize in-service training programs for teachers, volunteers, and other interested
personnel.

1. Stimulate development of cooperation among personnel responsible for community health education program.
2. Suggest approaches for integrating health education within existing health programs.
3. Develop plans for promoting collaborative efforts among health agencies and organizations with mutual interests.

1. Plan an operational, competency-oriented training program.
2. Utilize instructional resources that meet a variety of in-service training needs.
3. Demonstrate a wide range of strategies for conducting in-service training programs.

Seven Areas of Responsibility: Self-Assessment
Documentation of Experience, Skill, and Competence
Scale:
4
High level of skill –
experience
1
No experience
2
Low level of skill –
experience
3
Moderate level of
skill – experience

p. 6

4321RESPONSIBILITY VI: ACT AS A RESOURCE PERSON IN HEALTH EDUCATION

Competency A: Utilize health information systems effectively.

1. Match an information need with the appropriate retrieval system.
2. Access principal online and other data-based information resources.

Competency B: Establish effective consultative relationships with those requesting assistance in solving
health-related problems.
1. Analyze parameters of effective consultative relationships.
2. Describe special skills and abilities needed by health educators for consultation activities.
3. Formulate a plan for providing consultation to other health professionals.
4. Explain the process of marketing health education consultative services.

Competency C: Interpret and respond to requests for health information.

Competency D: Select effective educational resource materials for dissemination.

1. Analyze general processes for identifying the information needed to satisfy a request.
2. Employ a wide range of approaches in referring requesters to valid sources of health information.

1. Assemble educational material of value to the health of individuals and community groups.
2. Evaluate the worth and applicability of resource materials for given audiences.
3. Apply various processes in the acquisition of resource materials.
4. Compare different methods for distributing educational materials.

Seven Areas of Responsibility: Self-Assessment
Documentation of Experience, Skill, and Competence
Scale:
4
High level of skill –
experience
1
No experience
2
Low level of skill –
experience
3
Moderate level of
skill – experience

p. 7

4321RESPONSIBILITY VII: COMMUNICATING HEALTH AND HEALTH EDUCATION NEEDS, CONCERNS,
AND RESOURCES

Competency A: Interpret concepts, purposes, and theories of health education.

1. Evaluate the state of the art of health education.
2. Analyze the foundations of the discipline of health education.
3. Describe major responsibilities of the health educator in the practice of health education.

Competency B: Predict the impact of societal value systems on health education programs.

1. Investigate social forces causing opposing viewpoints regarding health education needs and concerns.
2. Employ a wide range of strategies for dealing with controversial health issues.

Competency C: Select a variety of communication methods and techniques in providing health
information.

Competency D: Foster communication between health care providers and consumers.

1. Utilize a wide range of techniques for communicating health and health education information.
2. Demonstrate proficiency in communicating health information and health education needs.

1. Interpret the significance and implications of health care providers’ messages to consumers.
2. Act as liaison between consumer groups and individuals and health care provider organizations.

1. R1_1: 2
2. R1_2: 3
3. R1_3: 3
4. R1_4: 2
5. R1_5: 3
6. R1_6: 3
7. R1_8: 2
8. R1_7: 3
9. R1_9: 3
10. R2_1: 3
11. R2_2: 3
12. R2_3: 3
13. R2_4: 2
14. R2_5: 2
15. R2_6: 2
16. R2_8: 1
17. R2_7: 1
18. R2_9: 2
19. R2_10: 2
20. R2_11: 2
21. R2_12: 2
22. R3_1: 1
23. R3_2: 1
24. R3_3: 2
25. R3_4: 1
26. R3_5: 2
27. R3_6: 1
28. R3_8: 1
29. R3_7: 1
30. R3_9: 2
31. R3_10: 2
32. R3_11: 2
33. R3_12: 2
34. R3_13: 2
35. R4_1: 2
36. R4_2: 2
37. R4_3: 2
38. R4_4: 2
39. R4_5: 2
40. R4_6: 2
41. R4_8: 2
42. R4_7: 2
43. R4_9: 2
44. R4_10: 2
45. R4_11: 2
46. R4_12: 2
47. R5_1: 1
48. R5_2: 2
49. R5_3: 1
50. R5_4: 3
51. R5_5: 2
52. R5_6: 2
53. R5_8: 1
54. R5_7: 1
55. R5_9: 2
56. R5_10: 1
57. R5_11: 1
58. R5_12: 1
59. R6_1: 2
60. R6_2: 2
61. R6_3: 2
62. R6_4: 2
63. R6_5: 2
64. R6_6: 2
65. R6_8: 2
66. R6_7: 2
67. R6_9: 2
68. R6_10: 2
69. R6_11: 2
70. R6_12: 2
71. R7_1: 2
72. R7_2: 2
73. R7_3: 2
74. R7_4: 2
75. R7_5: 2
76. R7_6: 2
77. R7_8: 2
78. R7_7: 2
79. R7_9: 2