Adapting During the Ever-Changing Pandemic Environment: A One-Year Examination of How Health Education Specialists Remain Adaptable

ABSTRACT

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the public health profession as a whole, but there is little evidence of the effects on the health education specialist (HES) field. Early publications show that HES shifted and adapted to COVID-19 priorities, but there is no data to track this over time.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine HES’ perspectives of their roles and responsibilities at one year post the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

A convenience sample of 15 HES took part in brief qualitative interviews during March 2021, one year post the pandemic start in the U.S.

Results

Study results show that HES are adaptable to the changing needs of their roles and responsibilities, with four factors contributing to adaptability, namely shift in priority, productivity/work-life balance, importance of public health, and job security.

Discussion

While respondents reported adaptability at one year, there is little evidence to explain this phenomenon, lending to further exploration of how HES work under a code of ethics, their willingness to work outside of their current work roles, and vocational theory.

Translation to Health Education Practice

Many factors that will determine HES’ adaptability, therefore, practitioners should be monitored and assessed over time.

A AJHE Self-Study quiz is online for this article via the SHAPE America Online Institute (SAOI)http://portal.shapeamerica.org/trn-Webinars

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was unfunded.