Compassion fatigue and the effectiveness of support structures for diagnostic radiographers in oncology

Radiographers' workload and burnout on performance: an empirical study

Study purpose

To assess the prevalence of burnout among radiographers, and whether demographic variables and work-related factors had any influence on burnout and perceived stress among them.

Methods

A cross-sectional quantitative survey design is adopted in this study. The participants included radiographers from Saudi Arabia. Both Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) were used for data collection. Participation was voluntary, and the survey was conducted online, resulting in 322 final responses considered for the data analysis.

Results

The mean emotional exhaustion (EE) score achieved was 26.01, representing medium burnout risk. However, the mean depersonalization (DP: μ = 25.25) and personal accomplishment (PA: μ = 23.65) represented high burnout risk among radiographers. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed among the participants grouped by genders, age groups, nature of work type, and work experience. The mean perceived stress score for radiographers was identified to be 27.8, indicating high.

Conclusion

The findings underscore the critical need for targeted interventions and support mechanisms within the radiology profession, particularly focusing on younger radiographers and those with extensive work experience.

Workplace factors impacting the wellbeing of diagnostic radiographers in clinical practice: A literature review

INTRODUCTION

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in an emphasis on external factors affecting the wellbeing of staff within the National Health Service. There is a national shortage of diagnostic radiographers in the United Kingdom, so maintaining the health and satisfaction of the current radiographic workforce is important. The aim of this literature review is to determine workplace-related factors affecting the wellbeing of diagnostic radiographers in their clinical practice.

METHODS

An interpretive phenomenological approach was selected to gain an insight of wellbeing from the perspective of radiographers and radiology managers. A systematic literature search was conducted, resulting in 10 core articles which were then thematically analysed.

RESULTS

Five themes were identified: Initial waves of COVID-19, Workload and Working Patterns, Mental Health, Sources of Support, and Recognition and Development.

DISCUSSION

COVID-19 has had a short and long-term impact on the working practices of radiographers, leading to a risk of burnout. Radiographers appreciated different forms of recognition from managers and support within their team but felt a lack of professional recognition outside the radiology department. Radiographers displayed resilience during the pandemic, using various strategies to cope with emotional challenges. A variety of external support was available to radiographers, but this was often self-directed, with in-person support difficult to access due to working patterns.

CONCLUSION

This review highlights the lack of tailored support addressing radiographers' unique experiences. As imaging modalities have different workloads and varying emotional involvement with patients, further research to provide evidence-based interventions to improve radiographers' mental health is advised.

Radiographers' views on the workplace factors that impact their mental health: Findings of a survey at central hospitals in Zimbabwe

BACKGROUND

Delivering high-quality radiography services is an ethical duty that calls for radiographers' dedication and their capacity to handle obstacles to their mental health that arise at work. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the radiographers' views on the workplace factors that impact their mental health in a sample from Harare Metropolitan Province, Zimbabwe.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey using a structured questionnaire was conducted from 10 August to 10 September 2022. A total of 37 out of 56 radiographers working at central hospitals in Harare Metropolitan Province participated in the survey. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used in the analysis. Data were analyzed using Stata 13.

RESULTS

Frustration and stress were the most commonly reported feelings among 78.38% and 72.97% of radiographers respectively. Most radiographers agreed that workplace stress influences relationships with family, friends, and coworkers. More than half of the radiographers agreed that workplace stress has forced them to start looking for a new position. A large proportion of radiographers (41.18%) reported that they had no emotional support with only 35.29% reporting that they do have emotional support. When asked to select their top 3 work-related stressors in the last 3 months, 70.27% reported frequent equipment breakdowns, and 67.57% reported poor remuneration. There was no significant difference between diagnostic radiographers and therapy radiographers with respect to stress (Pearson chi-square = 0.57, p = 0.45).

CONCLUSION

Appropriate support mechanisms should be considered to address the issues affecting mental health; as currently this may be a factor leading to the emigration of radiographers.

Changing Kindergarten Teachers' Mindsets Toward Children to Overcome Compassion Fatigue

Introduction

Kindergarten teachers who empathize with toddlers experience a great risk of burnout and emotional disturbance. This is referred to as compassion fatigue, in which teachers' empathy experience is reduced. This study proposed a moderated mediation model to identify the risks of compassion fatigue and its protective factors for developing evidence-based clinical interventions.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, self-report measures were administered to 1049 kindergarten teachers to observe their mindsets toward children, motivation for teacher empathy, job stress, social support, and compassion fatigue. The PROCESS macro (SPSS 23.0) was used to assess the moderated mediation model.

Results

The results demonstrated that motivation for teacher empathy mediated the negative relationship between kindergarten teachers' mindsets toward children and compassion fatigue. Moreover, job stress and social support moderated the relationship between kindergarten teachers' mindsets toward children and motivation for teacher empathy. However, this effect was not observed in the negative relationship between kindergarten teachers' mindsets toward children and compassion fatigue.

Conclusion

The proposed moderated mediation model was found to be valid. Furthermore, the study findings have practical implications for developing evidence-based interventions for addressing kindergarten teachers' compassion fatigue.

Factors associated with medical radiation and imaging professionals' willingness to work during the SARS-COV-2 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Resilient health systems effectively respond to health crises and coordinate post-event recovery. Central to a resilient system is the willingness of its workforce to work in high-risk scenarios. This study explored traits that may affect Medical Radiation and Imaging Professionals (MRIPs) willingness to work during a pandemic. Specifically, intrapersonal traits of compassion, empathy, and resilience were examined. Understanding such relationships can inform interventions that enhance individuals' willingness and health system resilience (HSR).

METHODS

In Fall 2020, a cross-sectional survey of Nova Scotian MRIPs was conducted. Witte's Extended Parallel Process Model, Professional Quality of Life, Intrapersonal Reactivity Index and Adult Resilience Measures-17 tools were used to assess willingness, compassion, empathy, and resilience. Statistical tests included chi-square, binomial, and multinomial logistic regression.

RESULTS

MRIPs were willing to report to work during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic if required (92%); asked but not required (89%); or regardless of severity (94%). Individuals with very high levels of willingness reported lower personal distress (a facet of empathy) compared to those with high (p=.018) or moderate levels (p=.005). MRIPs with < 10 years experience were more likely to report high personal distress (p≤.37). Job role was associated with willingness (p<.001). There were no significant associations between level of willingness, and gender, age, experience, education, or the intrapersonal traits resilience and compassion.

CONCLUSION

Willingness was associated with job role and levels of personal distress. Personal distress was higher in participants with less years of practice. Interventions to reduce personal distress in early career MRIPs may enhance willingness to work during crises and thereby support HSR.

Stress, a reflective self and an internal locus of control: On the everyday clinical placement experiences of older undergraduate radiographers in the UK

INTRODUCTION

Extant evidence indicates that the stresses experienced by younger undergraduate radiographers and their older counterparts vary considerably. Much of this difference has, however, emerged from analyses of the academic component of a radiography degree whereas little work has focused to date upon the specific business of clinical placement. Given this, the research herein reports findings from a qualitative study of how older undergraduate radiography students in the UK assemble their stress and stressors around clinical placement.

METHODS

An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was employed. N = 6 older undergraduate students undergoing their final year placement were purposively recruited from a variety of hospitals. With full institutional ethical approval, a semi-structured interview was conducted with each participant.

RESULTS

Four superordinate themes emerged. These were: (1) Self-identity and perceived competence; (2) Understaffing, instability and affect; (3) Episodic experience and feeling 'thrown-in'; (4) Unpreparedness for the challenging patient. Critically, each theme describes an interaction between stressor, experience of stress and self.

CONCLUSION

While familiar stressors were apparent, the older participating students actively made sense of them in terms of their manageability. This provides a strong contrast with existing literature, which tends to imply a more externalised locus of control among (largely younger) students.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Stress in the NHS is a continuing issue and there is a clear rationale for further investigation to ascertain the level of clinical support available and to determine whether further improvements could assist students on clinical placement. Collaboration between academic institutions and clinical sites would allow open discussion around clinical stress experienced by radiography students, with locus of control a potential point of focus, fostering a proactive partnership approach to stress-management and identification of difficulties before they exacerbate.