Association of Hospital Infrastructure and Resources with House Officer’s Training
Precious Enyioma Onyekwere *
Department of Medicine & Surgery, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.
Efe-Odenema Otaghogho
Department of Medicine & Surgery, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: The housemanship period is intended to consolidate clinical knowledge and procedural skills under supervision. However, variations in hospital resources may affect the quality of training received by house officers.
Aims: This study assessed the association of hospital resources and infrastructure with the training experiences of house officers in federal and state hospitals in Nigeria.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among 232 consenting house officers and medical officers who had completed housemanship within the preceding two years. Respondents had trained in federal or state hospitals across Nigeria. Data were collected using a structured English-language questionnaire distributed through online platforms. Responses were measured on a five-point Likert scale and analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 23. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise participant characteristics and study variables. Questionnaire reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, which yielded a value of 0.83. Pearson correlation and linear regression were used to examine the relationship between hospital resources and training outcomes.
Results: Most respondents were aged 25–30 years (62.9%), single (91.8%), and trained or worked in state hospitals (77.2%). Clinical facilities, supervision, mentorship, case variety and hands-on experience were rated as good. Access to learning resources, mental health support, and training sessions or workshops were rated poor, while information technology support, emergency preparedness, collaboration and the overall work environment were rated moderate. Hospital resource score showed a significant moderate positive correlation with training score (r = 0.586, p < 0.01). Regression analysis showed that hospital resources significantly predicted training outcomes (β = 0.586, p < 0.001), explaining 34.4% of the variance.
Conclusion: Hospital resources were significantly associated with house officer training outcomes. Strengthening learning resources, mental health support and structured training activities may improve the training environment.
Keywords: House officers, housemanship, hospital resources, hospital infrastructure, clinical training, medical internship, postgraduate medical education, learning resources.