by Stephen Janowsky

Created on: May 19, 2008   Last Updated: September 14, 2010

Becoming a health educator can be an attractive career option for a nurse, especially if one has a special call for teaching. If your mind's made up, then "nothing is impossible to a willing heart", like John Heywood said. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses is crucial. A teaching career usually requires qualities like: good communication skills, self-discipline, flexibility, dedication, sharing, perseverance, dynamism, and kindness.

Having a degree in Education is a good point to start. Many universities nationwide offer Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) programs, accredited by the Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), preparing advanced practice nurses to function in leadership roles in both practice and educational settings. Special courses may be available for health care professionals interested in pursuing or advancing in careers in higher educational settings. Further on, getting a PhD of Education would also be a useful accomplishment.

A mandatory preparing step is to become a Certified Health Educator Specialist (or CHES). CHES competencies are essential to the practice of health education, may this be in schools, colleges, workplaces, medical care settings, public health settings or other educational settings. The National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC) establishes a national standard for individual health education practitioners. Many employers prefer to hire applicants who are certified, and some States demand CHES as a prerequisite for working in a public health department. To achieve a CHES competency, a health educator-to-be needs to pass the National CHES Exam (MS and PhD degrees are eligible); this exam is available at over 120 colleges and universities throughout the US. In addition, to maintain certification as a health educator, one will have to complete 75 hours of approved continuing education courses or seminars over a 5-year period.

The American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) is a national organization that helps professionals to specialize in healthy lifestyle-promoting activities. As a member of AAHPERD, the American Association for Health Education (AAHE) supports health promoters and educators from various settings: health care, community and public agencies, businesses, schools, and colleges. AAHE can help nurses improve their professional training, (through the AAHE Internship Program), communicate better with other members of their profession, continue

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>