Shiraku J.1
1Nairobi Hospital, Physiotherapy, Nairobi, Kenya
Background: The changes in the health care environment during the last few years have had an impact on the roles and responsibilities of all health care professionals With Physiotherapists not left behind. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experience of Physiotherapists staff during a time of systemic change within The Nairobi Hospital in Kenya.
Purpose: The Nairobi Hospital has had changes in top management each coming in with different management styles and this has put staff in a change mode trying to keep up with the changes. Some staff who could not keep up have even ended up leaving the organization thus the purpose of the study.
Methods: Participants were 5 Physiotherapists working in various clinical settings within the Hospital. The participants were interviewed and asked the question Over the past 4 years, there have been major changes in your work environment. What has it been like for you working as a clinician during this time of change? Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed to find thematic patterns of response.
Results: Four common themes emerged in which participants described experiencing loss of control, stress, discontent, and disheartenment. A fifth theme showed that despite these negative feelings, participants were able to find the silver lining in their daily work lives (i.e., they were able to find positive aspects of their professional lives despite the perceived unpleasant changes with which they had to cope.
Conclusion(s): This study provides insight into the experiences of a group of physiotherapists during a time of systemic change in their work environment. Although the themes reflect largely unsettling and negative experiences, there seems to be an underlying ability to find affirmative aspects of work.
Implications: Changes in the health care culture have had an impact on all health care professionals, with new models for patient care, management organization, cost containment, and productivity measurement emerging. These changes, including computer-based charting, merging of departments, and adjustments of managerial staff, have led to a redesigning of the roles and responsibilities of physiotherapists within many clinical settings.
Funding acknowledgements: Physiotherapist staff and The Nairobi Hospital managementm, research and ethical committeek.
Topic: Professional issues
Ethics approval: The Nairobi Hospital Research and Ethics committee.
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
