INTRODUCTION

PHILOSOPHY OF HEALTH EDUCATION STATEMENT

Health is not a purely physical measurement. I include mental health, spiritual health, and decision making in my definition of health. Personally, health means living your best life but also being aware of your decisions. These decisions include nutrition, exercise, social, and mental aspects. Health encompasses all of these components in my mind. By doing the best for yourself in each area, to me, you are ‘healthy’. Health education to me, means that we are knowledgeable about various dimensions of health. It also means that we are able to help people live their best lives and be fully informed. This is why I chose health education for my major as I do want to help others. I think this is very important part of health education. I believe that if a person, who is studying health education, is not looking out for others, then they are in the wrong career path. Additionally, health educators, physicians, etc. should present all options to the patient even if the provider themselves would not agree with this. The best way to describe this is with an example. I would provide a comprehensive sex education class to all kids so they are knowledgeable about sex, STIs, pregnancies, etc. I think holding things back or thinking that people should not/ will not comprehend something is ridiculous. The biggest part is that we explain every bit of information so people are the most knowledgeable and make the best-informed decisions. Even if the provider is morally against contraception, they do have a duty to provide the patient with the most information so they are able to make the best decision for themselves. As health is rapidly changing each day with the discovery of new diseases and medications, it is important that health educators can adapt. As a health educator you are responsible for knowing about the newest ‘breakthroughs’ and you should know how to treat each patient on a case-by-case basis as no two people are the same. I think that I am very versatile and I can adapt to changes really well. As this is a part of the career path, I think that my abilities will help me treat others as I can learn a new skill and new information relatively quick.
In addition to being able to adapt to changes, there are three overwhelming characteristics that I think all health educators should possess to be effective. The first characteristic is being honest. A health educator needs to be honest about the current situation. By being honest, they can help the individual make the best decision as the individual and the health educator have complete transparency between the two of them. The second characteristic is to be knowledgeable about the topic discussed. A health educator needs to know what they are talking about. But they also need to know all available options to present to individuals. By knowing all of the options, they can help guide the individual to making the smartest choice on a case by case basis. Finally, I believe that health educators should be respectful to their patients as the patient may believe in something different than the educator. It is important that Health Educators are respectful of the decisions and cultures of other people. By being respectful, the individual will be more comfortable talking to this health educator, and this will be effective for both parties in the long run. I think if a health educator possesses these three characteristics then they will be effective to help others. Health educators can learn these qualities while working with patients and gaining experience. I think that experience with others is a main teaching tool that health educators use. For example, the internship in my last semester of my undergraduate degree will provide me with valuable information that I may not have learned in the classroom. When you interact with people, you gain the ability to teach others in the way they need to learn. Since not everyone learns the same way, you will able to teach and promote health behaviors in a more versatile way. As a result, there is not one teaching way that is supreme to others. However, the teach back method is vital to make sure patients understand what you were discussing or presenting the steps of. This method is not a first step to teaching others as this method evaluates the patient’s knowledge. If I was promoting a health behavior to a patient, I would try a variety of teaching styles to see which one they resonate with and use the style that they seem to grasp the easiest. After this step, I would use the teach back method to ensure they understand what was said to them. I think that this knowledge is really learned through first-hand experience and the health educators will strengthen the characteristics of honestly, knowledge, and respect through this patient-educator experience.