How to Become a Health Education Specialist in 5 Steps

Do you have a passion for health and wellness? Do you want to help others in your community learn about how to improve their health? Consider becoming a health education specialist.

In this article, we'll explore this rewarding healthcare career and the steps you can take to pursue it.

What Is a Health Education Specialist?

A health education specialist promotes healthy living practices and habits in a community.

Their basic job is to spread awareness about health strategies and risks to people within their community, encouraging them to live their best life.

This may look different for different health education specialists. Some may work in hospitals with patients recovering from a variety of diseases or injuries,

Others may work in schools, helping children learn about how to be healthy.

Exact job duties vary depending on the workplace environment. In general, though, a health education specialist's duties consist of the following:

• assessing health needs in the community
• planning and implementing health strategies
• conducting health-related research
• managing health strategies
• answering questions and providing health resources

Most health education specialists work for government organizations and in hospitals. However, they may also work for private businesses or clinics, in schools, and for non-profit organizations.

Health education specialists must have a passion for promoting good health within their communities, enjoy interacting with people, and have a solid understanding of healthy habits and risks to community health.

Still interested in becoming a health education specialist? Keep reading for a step-by-step process you can follow.

Step 1: Obtain a Bachelor's Degree

All aspiring health education specialists need to have at least a bachelor's degree before they can begin working in this field.

A degree in community health, public health, or health management would be a good starting point if you're looking to become a health education specialist. Other related healthcare degrees would also be acceptable.

These degree programs will teach you the basics of healthy practices while also giving you a foundation in community interaction and health promotion.

Step 2: Consider Advanced Education

If you already have a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field or you want to improve your chances of getting a job quickly, consider pursuing a master's degree.

Choose from subjects such as community health and health education as you pursue your advanced degree.

You even have the option to pursue a doctoral degree if you want, though this is not a requirement to work as a health education specialist.

Step 3: Gain Experience

Once you've completed your education, you can begin looking for job opportunities. Consider looking for health education specialist jobs in hospitals, private businesses, and organizations.

Some of these places of employment will require certification, while others will not.

If you are just starting out, it's a good idea to look for jobs that don't require you to be certified since you will need to gain work experience before you can seek certification.

You might be able to work internships or find entry-level jobs related to health education.

Any related experience you can obtain during this time will help you on your path to becoming a fully-certified and experienced health education specialist.

Step 4: Get Certified

Becoming a certified health education specialist, or CHES, isn't always a requirement to work as a health education specialist.

However, many jobs do require this certification, and even those that don't often give preference to job candidates who are certified.

You can obtain CHES certification through the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC). You will need to fill out an application and pass an exam to become certified.

Step 5: Meet Continuing Education Requirements

Once you have received certification, you will need to complete continuing education requirements to stay certified.

The National Commission for Health Education Credentialing dictates that certified health education specialists must obtain at least 75 hours of continuing education credits every five years.

This ensures that health education specialists stay up to date on the latest health news and developments in their community and the world.

Continuing education courses are available through the NCHEC. Many of them can be completed online and at your own pace. Others are required webinars that take place at set times.

Become a Health Education Specialist Today

Health education specialists play an important role in educating their communities and promoting health and wellness techniques.

If this sounds like the career for you, follow the process outlined in this article to become a health education specialist.