Abstract:
Background: In 2003 the Federal Ministry of Health launched a new accelerated expansion of primary health care through health extension program which was included in health sector development program II. The health extension program introduced a new cadre of health extension workers who provides 16 packages of essential interventions at village (kebele) health post. Those cadres were received a one year course of institutional and field training provided by technical vocational education and training. But this pre-service training of health extension workers has many short falls and the federal ministry of health had launched the upgrading training program of heath extension workers from level III to level IV. Thus this study provides some important information for ministry of health and the health Science College during curriculum revision and on development new curriculum for family nurse since the federal ministry of health planned to farther upgrade level IV HEWs to family nurse at university level.
Objective: This study aimed to assess the perception of level IV health extension workers on teaching learning practice of Shashemane Health Science College.
Methodology: Phenomenological study design was used to collect information from eighteen study participants and five focused group discussions using a well ordered semi structured interview guides. Audio record was taken during data collection and both transcription and retranslation was done by principal investigator accordingly. Finally the study result content was analyzed thematically using open code software.
Result: This study demonstrated that level IV health extension workers are motivated & interested to work for their community. The students perceived that their upgrading training program can address their major community health problems. They were also interested with the presence of qualified & motivated trainers, methodologies applied, presence of equipped skill labs & quality learning modules they had. However they were dissatisfied by duration of the training, number of student per classroom, imbalance between theory & practice and inadequate support of from their health Science College.
Conclusion & Recommendation: The upgrading training program can address the major community health needs of both pastoralist and agrarian areas and the upgraded health extension workers are committed to work for their community. But still many things needs to be improved by Shashemane Health Science College on duration of the training, improving the number student per classroom and on arranging discussion time with their students.
......................................... Thesis available at ACIPH Library