Challenges of training and clinical skill acquisition in radiography education: perceptions of students in resource-poor southeastern Nigeria

Authors

  • Christopher Chukwuemeka Ohagwu
  • Kalu Ochie Department of Radiography and Radiological Sciences University of Nigeria Campus Enugu State, Nigeria.
  • Cletus Uche Eze Department of Radiation Biology, Radiotherapy, Radiodiagnosis and Radiography College of Medicine University of Lagos, Nigeria.
  • Joseph Chukwuemeka Eze Department of Radiography and Radiological Sciences Nnamdi Azikiwe University Nnewi Campus Anambra State, Nigeria.
  • Emmanuel Emeka Ezugwu Department of Radiography and Radiological Sciences Nnamdi Azikiwe University Nnewi Campus Anambra State, Nigeria.
  • Mustapha Barde Department of Radiography Bayero University, Kano Kano State, Nigeria.
  • Jeremiah Kenechukwu Umeano Department of Radiography and Radiological Sciences Nnamdi Azikiwe University Nnewi Campus Anambra State, Nigeria.

Keywords:

training, clinical skill acquisition, challenges, radiography

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the factors that contribute to the challenges of training and clinical skill acquisition in undergraduate radiography education in southeastern Nigeria.

Methods: A cross-sectional prospective study, which targeted radiography undergraduates in the clinical classes in two universities in southeastern Nigeria, was conducted. A 23-item self-completion questionnaire, designed in line with the objectives of the study, was used for data collection.

Results: The majority of the factors identified were strongly rated to contribute to the challenges of training except for unavailability of published programme curriculum. Multinomial logistic regression showed that the age of the students did not influence the rating of factors (p>0.05). Gender influenced the rating of high academic workload and tight scheduling of lectures and published programme curriculum is not interest-stimulating enough (p=0.008). The factor's rating by the males was higher than the females (3.23 ± 0.91 vs 3.00 ± 0.86. The institutions, where the students are domiciled, influenced their ratings of congested and not conducive classrooms (p<0.0001), and shortage of ICT facilities and e-learning packages (p=0.009). The students’ level of study influenced the rating of 7 of the 18 factors investigated.

Conclusion: The challenges facing training and clinical skill acquisition of radiographers in southeastern Nigeria have been highlighted in this study. The challenges identified include inadequate infrastructure, difficult logistics, inadequate teaching aids, negative attitudes of trainers, and poor training methods.

Author Biographies

Christopher Chukwuemeka Ohagwu

Lecturer, Department of Radiography and Radiological sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria

Kalu Ochie, Department of Radiography and Radiological Sciences University of Nigeria Campus Enugu State, Nigeria.

Senior Lecturer

Department of Radiography and Radiological Sciences
University of Nigeria Campus
Enugu State, Nigeria.

Cletus Uche Eze, Department of Radiation Biology, Radiotherapy, Radiodiagnosis and Radiography College of Medicine University of Lagos, Nigeria.

Lecturer, Department of Radiation Biology, Radiotherapy, Radiodiagnosis and Radiography

College of Medicine

University of Lagos, Nigeria.

Joseph Chukwuemeka Eze, Department of Radiography and Radiological Sciences Nnamdi Azikiwe University Nnewi Campus Anambra State, Nigeria.

Lecturer, Department of Radiography and Radiological Sciences

Nnamdi Azikiwe University Nnewi Campus

Anambra State, Nigeria.

Emmanuel Emeka Ezugwu, Department of Radiography and Radiological Sciences Nnamdi Azikiwe University Nnewi Campus Anambra State, Nigeria.

Academic Technologist, Department of Radiography and Radiological Sciences

Nnamdi Azikiwe University Nnewi Campus

Anambra State, Nigeria.

Mustapha Barde, Department of Radiography Bayero University, Kano Kano State, Nigeria.

Lecturer, Department of Radiography

Bayero University, Kano

Kano State, Nigeria.

Jeremiah Kenechukwu Umeano, Department of Radiography and Radiological Sciences Nnamdi Azikiwe University Nnewi Campus Anambra State, Nigeria.

Radiographer, Department of Radiography and Radiological Sciences

Nnamdi Azikiwe University Nnewi Campus

Anambra State, Nigeria.

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Published

2016-12-09

Issue

Vol. 54 No. 2 (2016)

Section

Original Articles

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