How to Be a Successful Health Educator

Part 1 

For as long as I can remember, I have always had an interest in working in a health care environment that involves working with veterans. Of all the health care administration jobs, the two that have sparked my interest include health educators and acute care nurses. I feel they are suitable because veterans need to be educated on how to live a better and healthy life for longer life as well as be taken care of, particularly those suffering from chronic illnesses in their old age. 

Health Educators 

Basically, health educators provide and manage health education programs that help families, individuals, and their families to maintain healthy lifestyles. In addition, they collect and analyze data to identify the needs of the community prior to the designation of programs that encourage healthy lifestyles. Also, health educators are resourceful in terms of offering help in the administration of resources for the community (Alexander & Wynn, 2020). Health educators can be found in various settings among them schools, universities, communities, businesses, clinics, and public health departments among others. 

To be a successful health educator, skills needed include excellent communication skills, cultural competency, ability to provide instructions, computer knowledge, insight, and knowledge in computer. In addition to skills, there are qualities that one needs to possess for success in health education. These include advocacy, teamwork, empathy, and fiscal responsibility. Notably, health educators are expected to be knowledgeable about technology, particularly in the use of computers. To become a health educator, one needs to be a holder of at least a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution. Additionally, the Certified Health Education Specialist is a requirement by some employers. Also, neither experience nor on –the- job training is required to get started in a career as a health educator. Typically, a health educator is paid an average of $98, 530 on an annual basis. 

Acute Care Nurses 

Usually, the role of acute care nurses is to provide care for patients that have acute conditions such as heart attacks, respiratory distress, or shock. On a typical day, an acute care nurse will be involved in the treatment of medical emergencies, monitoring of patients following surgeries and intravenous administration of blood and other body fluids, among other activities. Acute care nurses can be found in programs that take care of veterans, hospital settings, and community health care programs. For success as an acute care nurse, one needs skills and qualities such as active listening and skills, understanding people’s reactions, speech clarity, and written comprehension. Additionally, an active care nurse has to be sensitive to problems. 

Educational requirements for a career in acute care nursing is being a holder of at least a bachelor’s degree. Examples of programs that can enable one to achieve include nursing science women health nursing, and family practice nursing among others (Careeronestop.org, 2020). Apart from the educational requirement, one does not need to have experience or training on the job. However, having certifications place one in a better position to showcase their skills to potential employers. Typically a registered acute care nurse is paid an annual salary of $ 106, 530 in the United States. 

Part 2 

The three job titles I found include Nurse practitioner acute care, RN Supervisor, and Health Education Specialist. For the position of Health Education Specialist, I possess skills such as knowledge in public health education principles and practices that include assessment and information dissemination (Careeronestop.org, 2020). However, I lack experience in the evaluation of health-related informational material. To develop the skill, I need to volunteer in an organization that caters to veterans in the United States as a health education specialist. This will not only enable me to gain the skill but to also have the experience needed for the job as I obtain my degree. On the other hand, the position of an RN Supervisor requires that one be a registered nurse and licensed. Also, they should be trained in psychiatry, geriatrics, and education. Finally, they should be able to train, directly organize, and supervise other nurses. To garner the experiences needed for this job, I will volunteer as a nurse in one of the local hospitals during the summer. This will enable me to have experience in dealing with fellow nurses as well as work with veterans. 

On the third job title which is Registered Nurse- Full-Time Night Shift, one is supposed to be a registered and licensed nurse. In addition, they should be able to plan, coordinate, evaluate, and direct clinical activities. Also, they should be able to effectively communicate in English, their oral and written skills should also be excellent. Proficiency in basic computer skills is also a requirement. Based on the skills requirements for this job, I have most of the qualifications and do not require to acquire any (Careeronestop.org, 2020). However, in the course of volunteering, I would be able to polish my skills. In regards to the experience need for the job, I do not have the 2-year experience required. However, I can be able to get the experience by looking for a job during the summer that I can work for as a Registered Nurse to help veterans with drug and substance abuse issues. 

Part 3 

A health care facility that I wish to study over the course is the Manhattan VA Medical Center. At its core, the health care organization provides numerous health services for veterans which include primary care, emergency care, mental health, dermatology, and cardiology among others. Usually one has to book an appointment before visiting the health facility. New patients can wait from 14 to 30 days depending on the service in question. Existing patients wait up to 14 days. Based on surveys from the Consumer Assessment of Health and Systems Survey, satisfaction scores for the facility range between 79 and 91 (Affairs, 2020). This is a high level of satisfaction implying that the organization delivers the best health care to the veterans. 

The mission statement for Manhattan VA medical Center states “To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan” by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans” Currently the health care facility serves a patient population of over 10,000 veterans. 

I am particularly interested in this organization because of its core values that are in alignment with mine. These include integrity, commitment, advocacy, respect, and excellence (Affairs, 2020). As a health educator, I intend to act with high professional standards with the veterans I will be serving. Also, I will work diligently to serve not only the veterans but also beneficiaries of the facility among them their spouses and children. Lastly, I will strive for the highest quality of work as well as improvement. 

For Manhattan VA, I feel that my proficiency skills in computer will be beneficial for the success of the organization. Also, I possess excellent communication skills and conflict resolution abilities. Combined with the experience I will have had at the local facility I will be volunteering in during summer, I hope to be work in line with the mission statement of the organization and render the best services to the veterans to the best of my ability. Working with veterans has been a career goal which I hope to hone at the Manhattan VA. 

References  

Affairs. D. (2020).  VA.gov | Veterans Affairs . [online] Va.gov. Available at: https://www.va.gov/about_va/mission.asp [Accessed 18 Jan. 2020]. 

Alexander, S., & Wynn, S. (2020). Improving the perceived quality of life of US military veterans with serious mental illness.  Mental Health Practice ,  23 (1). 

Careeronestop.org. (2020).  CareerOneStop . [online] Available at: https://www.careeronestop.org/Toolkit/Jobs/find-jobs.aspx?keyword=Health%20%20working%20with%20veterans&ajax=0&location=UNITED%20STATES&source=DEA [Accessed 18 Jan. 2020].