Supply Issues in Nuclear Medicine Jadvar, Delara A; Colletti, Patrick M
Clinical nuclear medicine,
2023-Feb-01, 2023-2-00, 20230201, Letnik:
48, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Issues related to the distribution and availability of supplies and personnel in nuclear medicine are well known and episodic. The combination of COVID-related restrictions and the unprecedented ...growth of our specialty have acutely exacerbated these supply and demand mismatches.
Occupational risk for burnout in nuclear medicine technologists globally, and particularly during disaster demands on the profession, is poorly researched. This idiographic study explored the lived ...experience of nuclear medicine technologists during COVID-19 in a regional city in Australia.
Data was collected from five participants using semi-structured interviews and transcribed and analysed according to the protocols of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).
Four group experiential themes were identified: Systemic Contraindications, Professional Strengths and Limitations, Pragmatic Growth, and Covid Rollercoaster. For these participants a dichotomous health care system, impacted by COVID-19, risked career longevity and burnout. Through empathic connection with vulnerable patients, they redefined their priorities, re-engaged in supportive connections with colleagues, and sought new pathways.
Multiple workplace stressors compounded by COVID-19, risked mental wellbeing, in these participants. Nevertheless, these challenges provided opportunities for reflection around career trajectory and longevity precipitating personal growth, job satisfaction and work-life balance.
This study provided a lens on the risk factors inherent for nuclear medicine technologists in Australia, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Current, and disaster protective practices, to ensure wellbeing and prevent burnout risk are recommended for future research.
Radiographers' profession is constantly evolving, which demands adaptation of education and training programs to build up medical imaging and radiation therapy professionals (MIRTPs) that provide ...healthcare to improve patient experience and outcomes. This study aimed to map radiographers’ practices, competences, and autonomy level in Western Switzerland.
Data was collected by 2 cross-sectional online surveys targeting Alumni, radiographers, clinical placement tutors and medical imaging equipment specialists from industry, with opened and closed-end questions. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used to analyse the data.
81 Alumni and 93 Chief-Radiographers, clinical tutors, practitioner-radiographers and industry answered the questionnaires. The competences considered as the most “acquired or completely acquired” by the Alumni were: adopt a reflective posture on practice (90.1 %; 73/81), adopt ethical behaviour (90.1 %; 73/81), carrying out and providing radiological services for diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive purposes (81.5 %; 68/81), adapting communication to the other surrounding persons (81.5 %; 66/81), and check compliance of procedures with standards (69.1 %; 56/81). Similar results were referred by Employers. The autonomy of the participant radiographers was considered as average, and it focuses only the preparation of the patient and the protocol optimisation. The development and integration of research is weak as well as the application of competences regarding professionalism.
A better link between educational institutions and clinical practice can help on the integration of research and evidence-based on practice, necessary to progress the radiographers' profession in Western Switzerland. The autonomy needs to be further developed and leadership courses must be integrated in the curricula to facilitate the implementation of new approaches to reinforce radiographer's profession.
Practice must be revised to integrate evidence-based; to facilitate research development, the managers need to increase support.
An awareness of Professional Identity (PI), an individual's identity in relation to their professional group, and Role Perception (RP), an individual's view of their specific role, may enable safe ...and effective practice by providing an understanding of professional boundaries, behaviours and activities. This research aimed to explore and gain an understanding of the PI and RP of Radiographers and Clinical Technologists working as Nuclear Medicine Technologists (NMT's).
10 NMT's were recruited from a large National Health Service (NHS) Trust. Utilising the established methodology of Qualitative Description, data was obtained using semi-structured interviews and analysed using inductive thematic analysis.
Four themes were identified: “Becoming the Unexpected” which detailed various training pathways; “Caring with Science” which described the NMT's role and defined their PI; “Same View, Different Lens” which portrayed how Radiographers and Clinical Technologists practise as team of NMT's; and “Confirmation of Professional Self” which presented how individuals view their professional status.
The study showed that the NMT role is highly specialised, multi-faceted and patient-centred. Their professional status is based on the nature of their role and their university level education and training. They work together under the umbrella title of NMT with a dual professional identity of “provider of care” and “user of science and technology”. However, they may have an individual identity of Radiographer or Clinical Technologist that is determined by their training pathway.
This research has provided valuable understanding of the PI and RP of NMT's. By highlighting the differences in the regulatory status of this workforce, an insight into the future implications in the context of national healthcare planning has been provided, highlighting potentially significant issues that may impact on the manner in which NMT's can practice.
It has been shown that stress in the workplace can contribute to the development or worsening of mental health conditions, as well as having a negative impact on personal relationships and life ...outside of work. Therefore, prolonged job stress can be damaging to an individual's mental health and wellbeing, potentially leading to burnout. There is limited research surrounding the wellbeing of nuclear medicine technologists practicing globally, and more specifically in Australia. This interpretative phenomenological study seeks the lived experience of nuclear medicine technologists within a large metropolitan city in Australia, how these experiences and COVID-19 has impacted their wellbeing.
Five participants were recruited who had greater than five years working experience as a nuclear medicine technologist. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews conducted online via Zoom to accommodate COVID-19 restrictions. The data was transcribed and analysed according to interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) protocols.
One superordinate theme: systemic regard, demoralizing burnout, protective maturity, overarched four subordinate themes: staying physically and psychologically safe; risk of burnout; maturity as protective against burnout; and COVID-19 drain. Pressures both prior to and during COVID-19 leave the participants feeling undervalued, discredited, and at risk of burnout. However, maturity brings confidence to incorporate their strengths in a more holistic view of life. Glimmers of positivity come from choices to alter their career path and the unexpected opportunities to spend time with family through COVID-19 restrictions.
Overall, the participants of this study expressed a lack of positivity about their own individual experiences within their career. Occupational stress, caused by workplace bullying, increased workload and understaffing increased their risk of burnout. Although as the participants matured, their ability to cope with occupational stressors improved. The recent COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the participants' risk of burnout.
Due to a number of contributing workplace factors, exacerbated by the unexpected COVID-19 pandemic, participants in this study appeared to have an increased risk of developing burnout. However, maturity and life experience has helped mitigate this risk.
The use of hybrid systems is increasingly growing in Europe and this is progressively important for the final result of diagnostic tests. As an integral part of the hybrid imaging system, computed ...tomography (CT) plays a crucial role in myocardial perfusion imaging diagnostics. Throughout Europe, a variety of equipment is available and also different university curricula of the nuclear medicine technologist are observed. Hence, the Technologist Committee of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine proposes to identify, through a bibliographic review, the recommendations for best practice in computed tomography applied to attenuation correction and calcium score in myocardial perfusion imaging, which courses in the set of knowledge, skills, and competencies for nuclear medicine technologists. This document aims at providing recommendations for CT acquisition protocols and CT image optimization in nuclear cardiology.
It has become common for nuclear medicine technologists to assume the responsibilities, or even the role, of the radiation safety officer or associate radiation safety officer. Their responsibilities ...are primarily related to the radioactive materials license but increasingly can include additional safety responsibilities within the hospital. These include CT, MRI, and fluoroscopy safety. Many technologists reading this article may be interested in sitting for the radiation safety advanced certification examination by the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board. A consultation of the content outline for that examination (found on the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board website) is a good place to start. The content outline is quite extensive and cannot be covered within a single article.
Abstract In Switzerland, a shortage of radiographers in the three radiology domains, radio-diagnostic, radiotherapy and nuclear medicine, is supposed to increase in the upcoming years. As job ...satisfaction has been shown to contribute to workplace retention, one purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between workplace retention and duration in the profession with job satisfaction. The study was based on two surveys. The institutional survey was addressed to all chiefs of radiology units in hospitals and ambulatory institutes (340, response rate 48%). All radiographers were asked to complete the individual survey (3000, response rate 25%). Two thirds of radiographers had been employed for five or more years in the same workplace, and nearly half intended to stay for 10 more years. The professional lifespan of radiographers is estimated to be approximately 27 years. 75% expressed their satisfaction with key aspects of professional activity, including the content of the work, autonomy, technology and their relationships with professionals and patients. These factors were not linked to a particular workplace, but to the profession itself. The radiographers build their own propitious work environment, even if salary and recognition by physicians are contributing to their dissatisfaction. The retention in the profession, consolidated by a high level of satisfaction, is an essential feature for a workforce policy. However, active measures for reinforcing retention are still necessary when considering that a lifelong career needs challenges and rewards. Additionally, the retention rate does not provide a guarantee adequacy for the future projected needs in the profession.
Introduction
Research is critical to evidence‐based practice, and the rapid developments in technology provide opportunities to innovate and improve practice. Little is known about the research ...profile of the medical radiation science (MRS) profession in Australia and New Zealand (NZ). This study provides a baseline of their doctoral activity.
Methods
A cross‐sectional survey of MRS professionals in Australia and NZ holding a doctorate or undertaking doctoral studies, was performed using an online tool (Bristol Online Survey®, Bristol, UK). A chain‐referral sampling technique was adopted for data collection. An email invitation with a link to the survey was generated and distributed through email and social media. The survey contained questions related to participant demographics, doctoral status, qualification route, funding and employment.
Results
There were 63 responses to the survey comprising 50.8% diagnostic radiographers (DRs; n = 32), 23.8% radiation therapists (RTs; n = 15), with the remaining 25.4% (n = 16) equally split between sonographers and nuclear medicine technologists (NMTs). A total of 40 (63.5%) of respondents had completed their doctoral qualification. In NZ, only DRs held a doctoral award constituting 0.3% of DRs and 0.2% of the total registered MRS population. In Australia, there was a greater proportion of doctoral NMTs (n = 8/1098; 0.7%) than RTs (n = 15/2394; 0.6%) and DRs (n = 27/12,001; 0.2%).
Conclusion
Similar to other countries, findings show a very small percentage of doctoral MRS professionals in Australia and NZ. Strategies to engage and support individuals in research, up to and beyond doctoral study, need to be embedded in practice.
This paper examined doctoral achievement of the medical radiation science (MRS) profession in Australia (AU) and New Zealand (NZ). Findings show very low percentage (0.3%) of doctoral MRS professionals in AU and NZ.
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