Developing a Framework Strategy for Supporting Radiographers in the Clinical Supervision of Radiography Students in Zambia: A Mixed Methods Study

Abstract

BACKGROUND፡ Clinical supervisors of radiography students play a key role in the facilitation of practice-based learning. However, there is a scarcity of evidence-based strategies to support clinical supervisors. This study aimed at exploring the level of support required by radiographers in order to develop a framework strategy for supporting clinical supervisors of
radiography students in Zambia.
METHODS: This study used an exploratory sequential mixedmethods approach. The qualitative phase was conducted first, and the findings were used to develop the questionnaire for the quantitative phase. The study population was radiographers working in the Lusaka and Copperbelt provinces of Zambia. For the first phase, data were collected from a purposive sample of 10 clinical supervisors of radiography students. For the survey, data were collected from 120 radiographers using a questionnaire. In the third phase, a group of experts validated the proposed framework using an online questionnaire. Qualitative data were analysed thematically and quantitative data using statistics.
RESULTS: Four support areas were identified: training and education in clinical supervision, clinical training resources, human resources and relationships, and quality assurance programmes related to clinical supervision. These findings informed the development of a support framework strategy for clinical supervisors.
CONCLUSION: This study has revealed that clinical supervision of radiography students requires coordinated support from stakeholders: schools of radiography, professional body, and radiology and hospital management. It is anticipated that the developed framework, when implemented, will enhance the experiences of clinical supervisors and improve the quality of clinical education.