Radiology Staff Perspective on Radiography Student Clinical Training

Discussion

The purpose of this study was to survey the perspective of the staff of the radiology department toward radiography students during clinical training. It also aimed at finding out the factors that were seen as relevant to the clinical training of students, and the improvement that could be done to make the training experience better for students.

Assessing the experience of radiography students on the attitude of the radiology staff towards their clinical training programme.

From the perspective of the clinical students, it was found that the radiology staff, in general, has a negative attitude toward the clinical training of radiography students. This is shown by the percentage of the ‘disagree’ response mean of the students. This is in agreement with the research findings of David et al31, who said that the majority of the student respondents perceived that there was a lack of effective student-clinical instructor relationships because the clinical instructors made the students look dunce-like and slow-witted in front of the patients. According to their study, the students perceived their instructors as people who are difficult to work with and were people who capitalized on mistakes, to make the students look small, and assert their superiority over them, thereby further intimidating the students, who are already usually intimidated by the clinical environment.

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From the student's responses in this study, it was also deduced that the radiology staff’s negative attitude to the clinical training program of radiography students is most likely to be responsible for poor students’ performance in the practical assessment. This is supported by the work done by Price et al36 that found the students’ performance to be related directly to the student-clinical staff relationship and quality time spent with clinical staff by the student.

Assessing the level of student satisfaction with the training program.

On the level of satisfaction of the students from the clinical training program, the findings of this study identified that radiography students did not get maximum satisfaction from the training program.

However, despite the identified low level of interest exhibited by radiology staff in the training of student radiographers, it was found out that students appreciated and were inspired by the radiology staff’s dress, appearance, and professional charisma. The study also revealed that the radiology staff was violent toward the students. This is contrary to the report from Mason40 in his study, Radiography students’ perception of clinical stressors, where students indicated some of their stressors as violence by staff and instructors, intimidation, hurtful criticism, too much supervision, and negative responses to questions/requests for help.

Assessing the opinion of the respondents on the relevant factors/staff attitude that could enhance clinical training of radiography students.

The research findings identified several factors/staff attitudes that could enhance the clinical training of radiography students. This includes staff on-job training and seminars to enhance their teaching skills as well as improve their understanding of healthcare as teamwork, effective communication among the radiology staff and students, provision of regular power supply in the radiology department, avoidance of discrimination between student radiographers and students of medicine and surgery while training the students, holding seminars for the students in the radiology department, provision of incentives for best performing clinical students. This is in agreement with Ann42 in her study, Improving the clinical instruction of student technologists. The study identified timely training of the clinical instructors to improve their teaching skills since most clinical instructors often have no formal preparation in teaching or evaluating students.

Comparison of the perspective of radiographers with that of other radiology staff on the clinical training of student radiographers. (Part A and B)

Part A. A general assessment of views of the radiology staff on the relevance of clinical training of radiography students

In assessing the views of the radiology staff, it was observed that the radiology staff acknowledge the clinical training of radiography students as an important training program with their strongly agreed mean responses. It was also identified that the radiology staff is aware of their roles and responsibilities in the training of radiography students. The radiology staff equally accepted it as their responsibility –the clinical training of radiography students.

However, the radiology staff erroneously consider the training program of radiography students not beneficial to them individually and of less relevance to warrant exposing a patient to it.

This is supported by the work done by Ike11 on the work attitude and perception of South Eastern Nigerian health workers. The study showed that 63% of the respondents were dissatisfied with their service delivery and attitude in the clinical training of medical students.

On the Contrarily, Parry et al12 conducted a similar study on the assessment of Teaching hospitals and District General Hospitals in the UK: Final year students’ view on clinical attachment locations. The study showed a friendly and supportive learning environment with greater opportunities for the acquisition of hands-on practical experience. In the same environment, Macdonald10 survey of staff attitudes to increasing medical undergraduate education in UK district General Hospitals found that most staff felt enthusiastic at the prospects of medical students and also felt that the arrival of the students had improved patient care and their department benefitted. This difference in findings is most likely to be due to the difference in the research area of the UK – a developed nation, unlike Nigeria.

Part B. Comparison of Radiographers’ perspective with that of other Staff

The findings from this study showed that Radiographers’ perspectives varied from that of other Radiology staff. In the positive statements supporting the importance of the training program, the radiographers strongly agreed to the statements with an average mean of 4.00, supporting that clinical postings of radiography students are of much relevance while other radiology staff just agreed to it with an average mean of 3.76. In the Negative statements that undermine the relevance of the training the radiographers strongly disagreed with an average mean of 1.91 while the other radiology staff just disagreed with an average mean of 2.43. This could be due to the fact that radiographers went through the training programme and better appreciate its contribution towards their professional development and benefit.

Students' comparison of different professionals and radiology departments’ interest in their training programme.

From the findings, it can be inferred that Radiographers are most willing and disposed to the training of radiography students. The radiologists were seen to be least interested in the training program. This is most likely due to their feeling of job insecurity with the role extension of radiographers.

The difference in attitudes of the three radiology departments to radiography students’ training from the research findings was insignificant.

Test of Hypothesis

• Hypothesis 1 using T-test suggested that the Radiology staff were not inclined to teach Student Radiographers during clinical postings.
• Hypothesis 2 also uses T-test to suggest that Staff in the radiology department were not suitable for the proper training of the student radiographers.

Summary of Findings

• The radiology staff acknowledges the clinical training program of radiography students as an important training program.
• The radiology staff also acknowledges and accepts the radiography students’ training as their responsibility.
• They generally exhibit a negative attitude toward radiography students’ clinical training.
• Their negative attitude contributes to poor students' skills and performance practice.
• The satisfaction level of radiography students from the training program is low.
• The radiology staff does not physically assault the radiography students.
• Radiographers are the most disposed and willing to teach radiography students while radiologists are the least willing among the staff of the radiology department.

Recommendations

• Seminars and symposiums should be conducted for the radiology staff to educate them of the need as staff in teaching hospitals to contribute to the training of radiography students.
• Employment of more workers in the radiology departments especially radiographers should be advocated.
• There should be Staff training on clinical skills needed in the training of students as clinical instructors most often have no formal preparation in teaching or evaluating students.
• Staff training and evaluation to improve patient care services should be done timely to improve their competence.
• Appropriate authorities should provide functional radiological equipment to ensure proper training of the radiography students which has a direct influence on the quality of patient care.
• The power supply in the radiology department should be improved and alternative standby sources of power should be provided.

Limitations of Study

• Much work has not been done on this topic, leading to a paucity of literature.
• Some of the questionnaires were not returned.
• Some of the questionnaires were improperly filled.
• Some of the radiology staff were uncooperative.

Areas for Further Research

• The assessment of attitude and perspective of radiography students toward their clinical training.
• The assessment of the attitude and perspective of patients towards the clinical training of radiography students.
• This study should be conducted in other radiography training institutions in the country.

Conclusion

Clinical training of radiography students remains pivotal to the professional development and efficiency of a Radiographer. This is acknowledged by the staff of the radiology department. However, there is a generalized negative attitude and perspective by the radiology staff to the training of radiography students. This is the sore point. It is therefore crucial that efforts are made to change the negative attitude of these staff and avert the ugly consequences such as poor radiological diagnosis which have a direct effect on the quality of health care services in our health sector.