School of Public Health, Wessex Deanery, Health Education England, UK.
Perspect Public Health. 2013 Jul;133(4):207-12. doi: 10.1177/1757913913481931. Epub 2013 Mar 21.
This study follows the career journeys of health trainers and explores their reasons for becoming a health trainer, their experiences of being a health trainer and where and what they go on to.
The study used biographical research methods to explore the experiences of seven individuals in two health trainer services. Individual maps were drawn up to preserve the uniqueness and individuality of each biographical story within its social context. Semi-structured interviews explored their journey using a narrative approach, focusing on the stages of becoming, being and moving forward as a health trainer. Thematic analysis of these interviews identified common themes and differences in the experience.
The start of each health trainer's journey is different but there is a remarkable similarity in the experience of being a health trainer. Being a health trainer affirmed the participants' values about 'giving back' to their community. It resulted in improved confidence as well as improved status in the community. All expressed a similar desire to progress within a health field but expressed frustration at being unable to develop a career.
This study explored the motivations for lay people to become health trainers using the concept of career anchors. It shows how the role strengthens desires to continue working within a health-related field thus creating a potential future public health workforce. However, the lack of progression routes for individuals creates an obstacle for them to progress. This study raises implications for how policy makers, commissioners and workforce planners can appropriately support this public health workforce.
本研究追踪了健康培训师的职业轨迹，探讨了他们成为健康培训师的原因、作为健康培训师的经历，以及他们之后的去向和从事的工作。
本研究采用传记研究方法，探索了两家健康培训服务机构中 7 名个体的经历。绘制个人图谱，以保留每个传记故事在其社会背景下的独特性和个体性。半结构化访谈采用叙事方法探讨他们的职业发展历程，重点关注成为、作为和继续前进作为健康培训师的阶段。对这些访谈进行主题分析，确定了经验中的共同主题和差异。
每位健康培训师的职业起点不同，但作为健康培训师的经历却惊人地相似。成为健康培训师肯定了参与者回馈社区的价值观。这不仅提升了他们的信心，还提高了他们在社区中的地位。所有人都表达了类似的愿望，希望在健康领域继续发展，但对无法发展职业感到沮丧。
本研究使用职业锚的概念探讨了非专业人士成为健康培训师的动机。它展示了该角色如何增强了在与健康相关领域继续工作的愿望，从而为未来的公共卫生劳动力创造了潜力。然而，个人缺乏晋升途径成为了他们发展的障碍。本研究为政策制定者、委托人和劳动力规划者如何适当支持这一公共卫生劳动力提出了启示。
