Evaluation of engagement in reflective practice by radiographers in Enugu Metropolis, southeast Nigeria

Authors

  • Cletus Uche Eze University of Lagos, Lagos Nigeria

Keywords:

theory-practice dichotomy, education, radiography

Abstract

Background: Reflective practice (RP) is the mental processing of problems that requires application of conceptual knowledge during clinical practice.

Objective: To investigate engagement in RP by radiographers in the Enugu Metropolis to determine the effectiveness of curricula and teaching method.

Methods: The prospective cross-sectional study involved all 50 registered radiographers working in Enugu Metropolis in 2014. Informed consent of the respondents was obtained. A semi-structured questionnaires, and observation method, were used for data collection. Data were analysed using SPSS Version 17.0. Descriptive statistics were computed and Chi-square was used to test the significance of results at p<0.05.

Results: Seventy-four percent of respondents engaged in RP; whereas 22% were ill-equipped for this practice. Respectively, 74%, 68%, 72% and 74% of respondents would tinker patient positioning, projections, technical factors and immobilisation. Managers’ attitude, superiors’ attitude, ageing equipment, and patients’ age/condition (80%, 73.3%, 66.7%, and 60%, respectively) discouraged engagement in RP. Eighty-eight percent of respondents with 0-4 years of clinical experience engaged in RP; whereas 72% of those with ≥20 years clinical experience did.

Conclusion: Radiography curricula and andragogy appear to have largely been effective in the education/training of radiographers in Nigeria. Engagement in RP, however, tended to decrease with clinical experience.

Author Biography

Cletus Uche Eze, University of Lagos, Lagos Nigeria

Lecture ii, Department of Radiation Biology, Radiotherapy, Radiodiagnosis and radiography, College of Medicine of the University of Lagos, Nigeria.

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Published

2017-05-29

Issue

Vol. 55 No. 1 (2017)

Section

Original Articles

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