Abstract
BackgroundThe compulsory community service programme (CSP) was implemented to improve access to healthcare and arguably facilitate the transition of graduates into independent professionals. However, its role and outcomes as a developmental platform for audiology graduates remains unclear and scant in literature.ObjectiveTo explore the qualitative differences in the experiences of professional development among new Audiology graduates during their community service year at their fixed-placements in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.MethodsWithin a phenomenographic design and framework, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 purposively sampled Community Service Officers (CSOs) of the year 2017, after obtaining ethical clearance, gatekeeper permission and participant’s consent.ResultsThe findings were interpreted according to the tenets of phenomenography. An outcome space based on the participants’ reported experiences, revealed three categories of description: transitioning from graduate to professional, learning in the workplace during community service and professional development. The findings reflected that the work environment, supervision, resource allocation, socialisation and infrastructure contributed to qualitatively different developmental experiences of the CSP.ConclusionThe current model of fixed-placement of the CSOs exposes them to qualitatively different developmental experiences, resulting in them attaining different developmental outcomes despite being in the same programme at the same time. Hence, we argue for an urgent CSP review, with the aim of standardising and redefining its intended outcomes and pertinent criteria for the attainment of the independent practitioner status.
Highlights
Mandatory community service programmes (CSPs) are used globally by over 70 countries as an effective mode of providing healthcare services to underprivileged communities (Dlamini, Sekoli, & Bresser, 2019; Frehywot, Mullan, & Payne, 2010)
We focus on the CSP in South Africa, yet we acknowledge that issues discussed may relate to CSPs in other countries
The findings are organised according to the conceptual framework (Figure 1) and presented in the outcome space (Table 2), which illustrates the categories of descriptions, conceptions and key differences of how CSOs conceptualised their lived experiences of community services (CS)
Summary
Mandatory community service programmes (CSPs) are used globally by over 70 countries as an effective mode of providing healthcare services to underprivileged communities (Dlamini, Sekoli, & Bresser, 2019; Frehywot, Mullan, & Payne, 2010). In South Africa, the CSP was introduced by the Department of Health (DoH) in 1998 for medical professions such as dentistry, medicine and pharmacy, followed by the allied health professions in 2003 including Audiology and Speech Therapy; Physiotherapy, and Occupational Therapy (Khan, Knight, & Esterhuizen, 2009; Reid, Peacocke, Kornik, & Wolvaardt, 2018) This was shortly followed by Nursing in 2008 (Govender, Brysiewicz, & Bhengu, 2015). This programme aimed to broaden access to healthcare services whilst facilitating professional development for new graduates (Reid et al, 2018) The latter has not received much attention in research and the field of practice; the noticeable knowledge gap in this area. Its role and outcomes as a developmental platform for audiology graduates remains unclear and scant in literature
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