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Career Profile: Health Educator - Kate Squire
Kate Squire, 33 Wisconsin Women’s Health Foundation, Madison, WI Health Educator
In Demand: Careers in Health Care, Career Voyages, U.S. Dept. of Labor
What do you do at your job?
I run the First Breath program, which helps pregnant women quit smoking. I travel around the state and meet with the people who counsel pregnant women. They need resources on how to motivate women to make healthy lifestyle choices. One of the challenges our public health nurses and other educators face is how to respond when the client cuts down on smoking but won’t quit or she starts smoking again after delivery. We teach our people how to motivate women to stop smoking and how to recognize their successes,such as cutting down from three packs a day to one pack a day.
Why did you become a health educator?
Health and wellness have always been interests of mine, and this enables me to learn about many different health issues and how to best communicate them to people. You can work on one issue such as smoking, nutrition or exercise, or you can work on a variety of health issues with a specific group of people. You can work for a corporation, a nonprofit organization or for government. This is a part of health care where you can really find your niche.
How did you get your training?
I had never heard about health educator careers until after I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry. After three years of working as a lab biologist at a brewery, I went back to school to get my master’s degree.
No Longer Practicing
almost 5 years ago
Where did you get your masters and what kind of classes did you take?
worshipper_1
almost 5 years ago
2 comments
This was helpful. I have a degree in Biology and masters in International health. I want to get a masters in health education to ombine it with my training in international health. I have been working in labs for three and a half years now and it is not fullfilling at all.
bldpn
almost 5 years ago
4 comments
The wrong rating was entered. I give this article a 5 star rating for Kate.
Brenda Dudley
bld449@aol.com
bldpn
almost 5 years ago
4 comments
Kate,
Thank you for sharing your story. I am a registered nurse who has left nursing. However, because of my continuing interest in health and wellness, I have taken on the role as parish nurse at my church. I completed the parish nurse training in 2000 and I am very active in health ministry in the community. We have a blood pressure screening program at my church which is growing. Currently, I am planning to attend seminary and pursue a career as a chaplain.
Keep up the great work you are doing.
Brenda Dudley
bld449@aol.com
isabelart
almost 5 years ago
6 comments
where I can get info about the masters in helth ed i have a BA in latinamerican studies ,I am a retired midwife And IBCLC currently (lactation expert} chilbirth inst. for 18 years,I have dificulty geting a job as health ed,any ideas? Thanks
Isabel Diaz