An Experience of Workplace Role Conflicts: Research Done in Homa Bay District Hospital in Nyanza Province (Kenya)

This research work examined the role conflicts among some of the Health workers who also doubled as counselors in Homa Bay District Hospital in Nyanza Province in Kenya. These dual roles were a major challenge to the Health workers because of the differing theoretical orientations and application principles between the two disciplines. The findings indicated that there is a potential for the two roles to be confused and consequently result in boundary violation hence losing sense of clarity by health workers cum counselors. It was also clear that there was no condusive environment particularly for the counselling process to take especially in the Hospital ward settings. However, despite the challenges some of the Health Professionals adhered to the basic ethical requirements of confidentiality. The findings showed that the respondents? primary duty was to offer health services to their clients and therefore counselling was a secondary duty. It was recommended that there is need for clear delineation between the two professions particularly in the medical settings so as to enhance quality service delivery to the targeted population.