If you enjoy helping others in the community, this could be the career path for you. Community health workers are the link between people and health services in their respective communities. Tasked with duties like administering preventive treatments, educating others on the importance of maintaining their well-being, and working both in an office and outside of it, community health workers can find themselves wearing many hats at once.
No matter what your primary responsibilities end up being, there are many rewards you can reap from working to help make your community a happier and healthier place. Here’s why you should consider working in community health after finishing your training to become a community service worker.
1. Your Day-to-Day Tasks Can Be Extremely Varied in Nature
Community health workers can find themselves with a number of responsibilities on the job, and ones that can be quite different in nature from one another. You could be giving first aid and monitoring patients’ blood pressure and/or glucose levels, collecting data related to health trends and concerns within a population, or referring patients to health services that may be of use for them.
You may also find yourself helping develop and research health care-related programs, as well as distributing brochures and flyers on health awareness and other relevant topics. As a community health worker, no two days are alike, and whatever you end up doing can help improve access to health care services for many people in your community.
2. You Can Educate Others on Maintaining Their Health
Being a community health worker entails working with patients with a myriad of health issues, but one responsibility in particular really stresses the “community” part of the job title. In your role as a community health worker you will educate and inform others about their health, the importance of taking certain medication, managing stress and nutrition, and/or getting immunized, and steps they can take to improve their well-being and lifestyles.
The knowledge you’ve gained from your CSW training will come in handy, as you’ll have learned how to navigate various aspects and complexities of working in the community. Having a solid understanding of your community’s needs and wants can help you not only be a great health care educator, but also the best possible liaison between citizens and health services.
3. You Could Work in Various Environments After Your CSW Training
After you’ve completed your community service worker training, there are a number of settings you could work in. These include hospitals, community agencies, doctors’ offices, counselling centres, and even school boards. Your role as a community health worker may also find you flipping back and forth between working in an office and out in the community, where you could present at community meetings and promote health care-related programs and campaigns. No matter where you find yourself working, your strong communication skills and resourceful nature can help you succeed as a community health worker in any environment.
Looking to attend community service worker school?
Contact Medix College to learn more!
