The perceptions of diagnostic radiography clinical tutors transitioning from being radiographers to clinical educators in public hospitals in the eThekwini District

Abstract

Introduction: Clinical tutors display competence in the practice of their craft. However, that competence does not automatically transfer to the area of clinical instruction. A unique aspect of teaching radiologic sciences is the need to be didactically and clinically proficient. Clinical instructors are known as having practical knowledge of teaching, but few understand the basic principles, theories, and concepts of the teaching and learning process. Furthermore, radiographers who transition into the role of clinical tutors are usually expert practitioners but may lack knowledge of best practices regarding student instruction and evaluation. The lack of adequate clinical education and supervision can result in low performance and students failing to apply theory to practice. There is a lack of data studying these issues which might shed light on the perceptions of clinical tutors’ transition. These factors generated the researcher’s interest in formally investigating the perceptions of radiography clinical tutors on the transition from being a radiographer to a clinical educator in the eThekwini district of KwaZulu-Natal. Aim: The study aimed to explore the perceptions of radiography clinical tutors on the transition from being a radiographer to an educator in public hospitals. Ultimately, the study aimed to recommend measures to be put in place to allow for the effective transitioning of radiographers to being clinical educators at public hospitals. Methodology: A non-probability sampling method using purposive sampling was used to select five hospitals within the eThekwini District. From these hospitals, a minimum of seven diagnostic radiography clinical tutors were selected and interviewed. A qualitative methodology design was employed in this study, in which semi-structured and in-depth interviews using open-ended questions were used to collect data from participants. Covid19 rules and protocols were followed. Four main themes generated from the study’s theoretical framework were used for data analysis. Findings: Thematic analysis of the transcribed interviews revealed four main themes, namely: situation, social support factor, strategy, and self-factor. The findings of the study indicated that the majority of participants have had major challenges in the transition process, which has led to negative experiences and only a few had a positive experience. Research participants further revealed that they are experiencing high workloads due to a shortage of staff, which was one of the major barriers that also affected students’ learning and participants’ effective transition. Research participants suggested that the appointed clinical tutor must undergo training before starting their job, whereby the job description will be clearly stated, including the required skills. Lastly, participants postulated that clinical tutors and teaching institutes must create a forum for clinical tutors where they will engage with the university to discuss the issues and challenges of students during clinical training and assist each other with teaching skills. Conclusion: Clinical tutors who participated indicated that they are facing challenges in transitioning from being a radiographer. These challenges affected their abilities to supervise students, which in turn affected the clinical learning progress of students. This, therefore, calls for an extensive intervention of both the learning institution, the hospital management, and other relevant stakeholders to best figure out how these challenges can be tackled. This will allow for a smooth transition and improve students’ supervision and ability to learn at the clinical venues.