Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Professional Roles and Responsibilities of Health Educators

Abstract

Public health professionals are at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic response. However, the roles and responsibilities of health educators in pandemic response are unknown. Researchers examined multiple factors that described how health educators’ work priorities and lives have been affected by COVID-19. An electronic questionnaire was administered nationally to health educators to assess the effect of the pandemic on their professional responsibilities, the challenges they are facing, and their fears about the future. Of the 913 respondents, 487 (43%) reported changing work priorities, with 80% of that group (389) sharing that their work priorities shifted focus to COVID-19. Most felt qualified to take on the new job responsibilities, but many feared the inability to get back to previous work roles or for their organizations to financially withstand the pandemic. Regardless of workplace setting or job priorities, health educators are prepared in the skills outlined in the Responsibilities and Competencies for Health Education Specialists, which may have led to their abilities in shifting roles so quickly and effectively. Findings from this study may prepare public health agencies to better use and train health educators for their roles in rapidly shifting public health priorities.

Searching for New Model of Digital Informatics for Human–Computer Interaction: Testing the Institution-Based Technology Acceptance Model (ITAM)

“…New technology in the fourth industrial revolution might influence the types of job tasks required of individuals, which health professionals during the current pandemic have experienced [ 140 ]. Thus, we tried to include task-related factors (specialty, manager’s concern) in the alternative expanded model.…”

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cancer Patient Educators

“…Fourth, our survey also did not capture any information about the personal or mental health effects of COVID-19 on patient educators, especially during the rapid transition to remote work where some may have felt isolated and unable to interact with colleagues, friends, and family or were required to take on the additional role of overseeing online school for children [ 27 ]. A previous study examining the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on health educators reported that in addition to increased job responsibilities, health educators took on a greater role in caring for family members and helping children with online school [ 5 ]. These conditions are likely to lead to burnout and elevated stress over time, if they have not already [ 28 ].…”

“…When a person receives a cancer diagnosis, education is vital in reducing anxiety [ 1 ], increasing satisfaction with treatment [ 2 ], helping with self-management [ 3 ], and creating a sense of control [ 4 ]. When the COVID-19 pandemic became a reality in the spring of 2020, many patient education programs in Canada and the USA suddenly found themselves closing their physical spaces; moving their staff to remote work; and, in some cases, redeploying their staff to COVID-19-related roles [ 5 ]. However, COVID-19 did not stop the education needs of people with cancer.…”

Competência emocional dos profissionais de saúde num contexto de uma unidade de cuidados coronários: estudo de abordagem qualitativa com recurso a tecnologias online

“…As investigações já realizadas sobre o impacto da pandemia nos profissionais de saúde reforçaram este resultado (Borges et al, 2021;Jin et al, 2020). Inevitavelmente houve a necessidade dos serviços se organizarem e redefinirem prioridades em função da pandemia (Hancher-Rauch et al, 2021) o que se refletiu em todas as áreas da vida destes profissionais. Além destas mudanças, o facto destes profissionais estarem mais expostos ao vírus gerava um stress adicional no momento de prestação de cuidados (Teixeira et al, 2020).…”