Assessing job capabilities of Medical Librarianship and information science Master graduates

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Evaluation of job professional competencies after graduation and during employment is very important for performance excellence in education and service. Objective: The present study was conducted to evaluate the professional competencies of graduates of librarianship and medical information in the master's degree in 2018. Methods and Materials: The study is descriptive-analytical. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire based on the statement of Professional Competencies of the Medical Libraries Association in 2017, which was completed by 62 graduates and 23 colleagues after confirming its validity and reliability. To analyze the collected data, SPSS software version 22 and Pearson correlation coefficient, paired t-test, independent group t-test and one-way analysis of variance were used. Results: The results of the study showed that the degree of job competence of graduates is relatively desirable both in terms of themselves and their colleagues and the difference between them is significant (P value <0.05) so that colleagues assess the level of ability of graduates. Most of them evaluated the highest level of capability from the perspective of graduates in the field of intelligence services (3.62 ± 0.65) and from the perspective of colleagues in the field of research and evidence-based practice (4.26 ± 0.81). Came. Also, the importance of graduates' job competence was the same for both graduate and colleague groups. There was a significant difference between job competence and its importance from the perspective of both graduate and colleague groups (P value <0.05), meaning that expectations were higher than perceptions. Women had more management and leadership skills (3.46 ± 0.61) and professionalism (3.27 ± 0.61) than men. Graduates who entered the graduate program with a bachelor's degree in librarianship or medical librarianship were more proficient in information service skills, information management skills, training and educational design skills, and management and leadership skills than other graduates. Graduates in the areas of information management, management and leadership, and research and evidence-based practice were more capable than graduates. There was a positive correlation between graduates' work experience and job competence and its importance (r> 0.05). There was a positive correlation between age and management and leadership skills (r = 0.031), research and evidence-based practice (r = 0.030), health information professionalism (r = 0.025). Conclusion: The expectations of graduates in the workplace are more than the level of capability they show. Also, graduates in new areas of information and professionalism need to be upgraded; Therefore, revising and editing the educational curriculum in this field based on the above, the use of new teaching methods along with holding additional training courses in these fields can help improve the abilities of graduates.