TY - JOUR
T1 - Trainers’ perception of the learning environment and student competency
T2 - A qualitative investigation of midwifery and anesthesia training programs in Ethiopia
AU - Kibwana, Sharon
AU - Haws, Rachel
AU - Kols, Adrienne
AU - Ayalew, Firew
AU - Kim, Young Mi
AU - van Roosmalen, Jos
AU - Stekelenburg, Jelle
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the cooperative agreement AID-663-A-12-00008. The contents are the responsibility of Jhpiego and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 The Authors
PY - 2017/8/1
Y1 - 2017/8/1
N2 - Background Ethiopia has successfully expanded training for midwives and anesthetists in public institutions. This study explored the perceptions of trainers (instructors, clinical lab assistants and preceptors) towards the adequacy of students’ learning experience and implications for achieving mastery of core competencies. Methods In-depth interviews with 96 trainers at 9 public universities and 17 regional health science colleges across Ethiopia were conducted to elicit their opinions about available resources, program curriculum suitability, and competence of graduating students. Using Dedoose, data were thematically analyzed using grounded theory. Results Perceptions of anesthesia and midwifery programs were similar. Common challenges included unpreparedness and poor motivation of students, shortages of skills lab space and equipment, difficulties ensuring students’ exposure to sufficient and varied enough cases to develop competence, and lack of coordination between academic training institutions and clinical attachment sites. Additional logistical barriers included lack of student transport to clinical sites. Informants recommended improved recruitment strategies, curriculum adjustments, increased time in skills labs, and better communication across academic and clinical sites. Conclusions An adequate learning environment ensures that graduating midwives and anesthetists are competent to provide quality services. Minimizing the human resource, infrastructural and logistical gaps identified in this study requires continued, targeted investment in health systems strengthening.
AB - Background Ethiopia has successfully expanded training for midwives and anesthetists in public institutions. This study explored the perceptions of trainers (instructors, clinical lab assistants and preceptors) towards the adequacy of students’ learning experience and implications for achieving mastery of core competencies. Methods In-depth interviews with 96 trainers at 9 public universities and 17 regional health science colleges across Ethiopia were conducted to elicit their opinions about available resources, program curriculum suitability, and competence of graduating students. Using Dedoose, data were thematically analyzed using grounded theory. Results Perceptions of anesthesia and midwifery programs were similar. Common challenges included unpreparedness and poor motivation of students, shortages of skills lab space and equipment, difficulties ensuring students’ exposure to sufficient and varied enough cases to develop competence, and lack of coordination between academic training institutions and clinical attachment sites. Additional logistical barriers included lack of student transport to clinical sites. Informants recommended improved recruitment strategies, curriculum adjustments, increased time in skills labs, and better communication across academic and clinical sites. Conclusions An adequate learning environment ensures that graduating midwives and anesthetists are competent to provide quality services. Minimizing the human resource, infrastructural and logistical gaps identified in this study requires continued, targeted investment in health systems strengthening.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.nedt.2017.04.021
DO - 10.1016/j.nedt.2017.04.021
M3 - Article
C2 - 28505523
AN - SCOPUS:85019067943
SN - 0260-6917
VL - 55
SP - 5
EP - 10
JO - Nurse Education Today
JF - Nurse Education Today
ER -