Educational Competencies for Health Occupations Educators

Health occupations teachers are facing many challenges which necessitate development of new competencies if their students are to be prepared for a changing health care delivery system. A study was conducted in Nebraska during 1987-88 with a two-fold purpose: (a) to identify the competencies needed by health occupations teachers as they perceived them, and (b) to compare these results with a study of health occupations teachers conducted seven years earlier. Respondents identified utilizing microcomputers in teaching as a top priority. A review of literature indicated that instruments being used to identify educational needs of health occupations teachers contain competencies that are basic in education and are not reflecting competencies needed to meeting the challenges of the changing workplace in health care settings. Recommendations are made for development of questionnaires that assess health occupations teachers’ competencies needed in the health care delivery system