Thuto Bophelo Nursing Academy Health Promotional Officer

The Course

A blend of theory and practical training, the Health Promotional Officer is a QCTO accredited occupational qualification with the course breakdown being 25% knowledge, 38% practical skills and 37% workplace experience. All theoretical training is via our online learning platform through our Pretoria based Academy. You will be placed within our partner organisations for your practical training.

WHY CHOOSE HEALTH PROMOTIONAL OFFICER (HPO)?

The National Health Council has mandated massive improvement in health outcomes and for this to occur significant steps need to be taken in the restructuring of the health system.

The restructured health financing system – the National Health Insurance (NHI) – is being based on the ward system that has been implemented in KwaZulu-Natal. Each ward will have one or more Primary Health Care (PHC) outreach teams comprising a professional nurse, environmental health and health promotion practitioners as well as up to five community health workers who are expected to serve a population of approximately 7 660 people.

The HPO qualification will form an integral part of this strategy. Starting as HPO’s, through a process of ongoing education these individuals will eventually become Community Health Workers who will be employed by the various government departments (with current needs estimated at approximately
70 000 people!).

Duties are varied and include:

• Providing basic nursing care
• Treating simple diseases, injuries, and wounds and refer to clinics
• Providing palliative care
• Taking temperature, BP, pulse, and respiration
• Checking on outbreaks of transmitted diseases, teach and refer for treatment
• Check Sexually Transmitted infections, teach and refer them for treatment
• Check children and refer for immunization
• Check pregnant mothers, mothers who have given birth and their babies and refer them for treatment
• HIV and AIDS testing and counseling
• Check drug and substance abusers and refer them to rehabilitation centers
• Tech people about the dangers of drug and substance abuse
• Teach people about basic in-house hygiene, environment, and water
• Teach people about women’s, men’s, and children’s health
• Teach people about healthy lifestyles

Academy Health Promotional Officer Career Opportunities 

As you will have an occupational qualification certificate, you will be eligible for certain access recognition in various NQF Level 4 qualifications.