Occupational stresses and coping mechanisms of therapy radiographers – a qualitative approach

Abstract

It is believed that health care workers are particularly susceptible to developing stress-related illness because of the nature of their work. The purpose of this research was to identify occupational stresses that may or may not be unique to therapy radiographers, identify the coping mechanisms that are used to combat work-related stress and gain insight into the lived experiences of this group of therapy radiographers. A phenomenological (qualitative) approach was used to identify the radiographers' perception of occupational stresses and coping mechanisms. Data collection was through in-depth interviews that were transcribed and analysed using Colaizzi methodology. The results identified stresses within the following categories: personal performance, patient contact, working environment, communication, management, professional behaviour and departmental working. These results support the stresses identified through other research studies on health care workers. Coping mechanisms identified include Social Support, Confrontive Coping, Escape-Avoidance, Self-Controlling, Distancing and Positive Reappraisal. The most frequently used coping mechanisms were social support, confrontive coping and escape-avoidance. This research has also identified a new stress; the stress associated with the ‘potential to make errors’ i.e. the acute awareness of the damaging effects of high energy X-rays if a mistake is made.

This research has attempted to provide insight into the working world of the therapy radiographer and to discover the meaning and information specific to their ‘lived experience’. It is hoped that this research provides the reader with a deeper understanding of the nature and meaning of the experience.