Teaching health education.

Die vak Teorie en Praktyk van Gesondheidsvoorligting word vir gemeenskapsverpJeegstudente aan Medunsa aangebied. ’n Vraelys is aan hierdie studente versprei om hulle houding teenoor verskeie aspekte van die vakgebied te bepaal. Response het onder andere getoon dat dit 'n interessante en belangrike vak is en dat die studente se motivering om gesondheidsvoorligting te doen oor die algemeen verhoog is. Voorbeelde van programme wat studente opgestel het word gegee om hulle inisiatief en vordering te illustreer. INTRODUCTION For the past three years the subject Theory and Practice of Health Educa­ tion has been offered to prospective community health nurses by the De­ partment of Nursing Science at the Medical University of Southern Africa (Medunsa). The purpose of introducing this course was to promote the practice of health education — an integral part of health care and thus of community nursing care — by guiding community health nurses to — synthesise appropriate and applic­ able theoretical concepts from vari­ ous fields of science including educa­ tion, anthropology, psychology, so­ ciology and nursing as a premise on which to base health education — apply theoretical concepts gleaned from various fields of science to the field of health education -— develop reasonable skill in selecting, planning, preparing, utilising and evaluating teaching/learning aids — evolve a favourable attitude towards health education — undertake simple studies related to health behaviour — identify authorities concerned with health education on local, national and international level and know their contributions. The subject called Theory and Prac­ tice of Health Education includes 120 lesson periods over two semesters. Practica undertaken in addition to lesson periods requires students to — structure, conduct and interpret an interview with a limited number of persons, belonging to a pre-selected target group, regarding their needs for health education — plan* a short health education pro­ gramme comprising a minimum of five topics to meet the needs for health education — direct or conduct teaching/learn­ ing/evaluation experience — visit a number of institutions/per­ sons to learn more about where to obtain and how to make and use audio-visual material DETERMINING THE SUCCESS OF THE SUBJECT