Systemic disregard, demoralising occupational burnout, protective maturity: The ‘lived’ experience of nuclear medicine technologists and the impact of COVID-19 (original) (raw)

Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences

Objective: 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. Methods: 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. Results: 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. Discussion: 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. Conclusion: 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. RÉSUME Objectif: Il a été démontré que le stress au travail peut contribuer au développement ou à l'aggravation de troubles de la santé mentale, et avoir une incidence négative sur les relations personnelles et la vie en dehors du travail. Par conséquent, un stress professionnel prolongé peut être préjudiciable à la santé mentale et au bien-être d'un individu, et peut conduire à l'épuisement professionnel. Il existe peu de recherches sur le bien-être des technologues en médecine nucléaire dans le monde, et plus particulièrement en Australie. Cette Ethical approval: Ethical approval was obtained from The University of Newcastle Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC-2020-0085) prior to the commencement of this study. Declaration of Competing Interest: The ICMJE disclosure for has been completed for all authors. The authors declare no conflict of interest. Daphne James is an Associate Editor at JMIRS but was blinded to the decision making process.