Dlamini L, Sekoli L, Bresser P
Department of Radiography, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Healthcare Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
Department of Radiography, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Healthcare Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
Radiography (Lond). 2019 May;25(2):108-113. doi: 10.1016/j.radi.2018.11.003. Epub 2018 Dec 24.
Compulsory community service (CCS) is a concept that was adopted by many countries as a strategy to address the shortage of health workers. CCS was initiated in 1997 in the South African healthcare system to alleviate improper distribution of health workers in the public sector. CCS experiences of various health professions excluding radiographers were explored where debates regarding the impact, experiences and perceptions of the CCS year are ongoing. This study aimed to describe the perceptions and short-term experiences of newly qualified radiographers performing CCS in Gauteng, South Africa.
A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted using a questionnaire distributed to 81 newly qualified radiographers who had started CCS in the Gauteng province in 2017 across 11 radiology departments. A response rate of 48.1% (n = 39) was obtained.
Newly qualified radiographers understood the objectives of CCS and felt adequately prepared for their roles as CCS radiographers in terms of education skills acquired and role expectations. Participants felt confident to commence their duties and were not intimidated by their work environments. Orientation, mentoring and supervision were identified to be the main challenges during the CCS year.
The concept of CCS is widely accepted and regarded beneficial by CCS radiographers. Similar challenges emerged as reported by other health professionals despite the presence of role models. The development and implementation of structured guidelines regarding orientation and mentoring of CCS health professionals is strongly recommended to address the needs identified by this study.
义务社区服务（CCS）是许多国家采用的一项战略，旨在解决卫生工作者短缺的问题。1997年，南非医疗系统启动了义务社区服务，以缓解公共部门卫生工作者分布不均的状况。除放射技师外，其他各类卫生专业的义务社区服务经验已得到探讨，关于义务社区服务年度的影响、经历和看法的辩论仍在进行。本研究旨在描述南非豪登省新获得资格的放射技师在进行义务社区服务时的看法和短期经历。
采用横断面描述性研究方法，向2017年在豪登省11个放射科开始义务社区服务的81名新获得资格的放射技师发放问卷。获得了48.1%（n = 39）的回复率。
新获得资格的放射技师理解义务社区服务的目标，并认为就所获得的教育技能和角色期望而言，他们为担任义务社区服务放射技师的角色做好了充分准备。参与者对开始履行职责感到自信，并且没有被工作环境吓倒。入职培训、指导和监督被确定为义务社区服务年度的主要挑战。
义务社区服务的概念被义务社区服务放射技师广泛接受并认为有益。尽管有榜样存在，但其他卫生专业人员报告的类似挑战依然出现。强烈建议制定和实施关于义务社区服务卫生专业人员入职培训和指导的结构化指南，以满足本研究确定的需求。
