ADMINISTRATIVE SKILLS ENHANCEMENT STRATEGIES AND EFFECTIVENESS OF PRIMARY HEALTHCARE CENTRES IN PORT HARCOURT CITY LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA IN RIVERS STATE.

Abstract

The study examined administrative skills enhancement strategies and effectiveness of Primary Healthcare Centres in Port Harcourt City LGA in Rivers State. The objective of the study was to examine the relationship between dimensions administrative skills enhancement strategies (training/development, industrial association membership and mentoring) and measures of effectiveness such as care timeliness, staff/clinician burnout reduction and patient healthcare improvement of Primary Healthcare Centres in Port Harcourt City LGA in Rivers State. Thus, the study was anchored on vroom expectancy theory as its theoretical foundation. The study adopted the explanatory cross sectional survey research design, the population of the study consisted of twenty-three (23) Primary Healthcare Centres operating in Port Harcourt City LGA. Due to accessibility and manageability, only fifteen (15) Primary Healthcare Centres are purposively covered. Since the study is macro in nature and the population is not too large, the sample size consists of the entire population (Fifteen Primary Healthcare Centres in Port Harcourt City LGA). However, the study adopts a census method of sampling. In terms of respondents, three (3) top level medical personnel were purposively selected from each from the Fifteen (15) Primary Healthcare Centres in Port Harcourt City LGA. Thus, the sample of the study was Fifteen (15) Primary Healthcare Centres in Port Harcourt City LGA with Forty-Five (45) respondents. After validation by the experts in test and measurement, a total of forty-five (45) copies of the validated questionnaire were distributed to the targeted audience. The researcher was able to retrieve thirty-eight (38) copies of the entire validated questionnaire distributed. The reliability of the instrument was ascertained using test-retest. Mean and standard deviation was used for research questions analysis while Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient was used to test hypotheses. It was found that there is a significant positive relationship between dimensions of administrative skills enhancement strategies and measures of effectiveness of Primary Healthcare Centres in Port Harcourt City LGA. It was concluded that Primary Healthcare Centres who fail to properly create strategies of ensuring that their administrative skills are enhanced, will always encounter issues of ineffectiveness in their daily work routine. The study recommends that staff of Primary Healthcare Centres should undertake professional courses through off-the-job trainings in order to advance their knowledge and expertise in their career line.