Current Employment Practices and Future Preferences for Multicredentialed Technologists in Nebraska.

A study was conducted to determine the current employment practices and future preferences of Nebraska hospitals regarding multicredentialed technologists. A survey was mailed to 104 hospital radi- ology departments in the state of Nebraska, asking for voluntary and confidential responses by radiology managers charged with hiring of radiologic technologists with a response rate of 51%. Nearly all respondents (93%) said it was very likely or fairly likely that they would hire a multicredentialed technologist in the future. Results suggest that there is a trend among Nebraska hospital radiology managers toward needing or hiring multicredentialed radiologic technologists in the future. There appears to be a greater emphasis in the pairing of credentialing in diagnostic radiography with computed tomography, ultra- sound, and mammography in current and future needs.

COVID-19 Contingency Planning Among Radiologic Science Programs.

PURPOSE: To examine radiologic science programs' contingency planning related to the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Using a mixed-methods approach, educators in magnetic resonance, medical dosimetry, radiation therapy, and radiography programs were surveyed to identify curricular changes, policy implementation, and financial implications related to pandemic recovery efforts. Quantitative data were summarized using descriptive statistics and percentages. Thematic analyses were performed on the qualitative responses. RESULTS: Continued curricular changes involved using technology to teach in the online environment and ensuring the safety and protection of students during clinical rotations. Institutional policies implemented because of the pandemic included social distancing guidelines, mask requirements, and availability of vaccine. The greatest financial implication witnessed among the sample of educators at their respective institutions was the halting of employer-related travel. Faced with the spontaneous shift to online learning while not being equipped with the appropriate training, most of the educator participants experienced COVID-19 fatigue and burnout related to teaching online. DISCUSSION: Social distancing guidelines make it difficult for large classes to meet in person, so virtual lectures using video conferencing platforms were an essential part of teaching during the pandemic. Most educators in this study selected recording technology for lectures as the most useful educational technology tool integrated into the didactic portion of their program. For many educators, having administration realize the adoption of technology is integral to and viable for radiologic science programs was a positive outcome of COVID-19. The pandemic caused educators in the study to experience fatigue and burnout related to online learning; however, the educators also expressed a high degree of comfort with using technology in the online learning environment. This implies that the source of fatigue and burnout was likely not associated with the technology, but with the focused and swift transition to predominately online learning. CONCLUSION: Although educators in this sample felt moderately prepared to handle future viral outbreaks and extremely comfortable using technology in the virtual classroom, additional research is needed to develop viable contingency plans and explore pedagogical approaches to content delivery beyond the traditional, in-person structure.

Shift Work and Mental Health Among Radiologic Technologists.

PURPOSE: To determine the relationships between mental health (depression and anxiety) and engaging in shift work, working weekend shifts, and taking call for radiologic technologists, and to identify coping strategies used to manage depression and anxiety. METHODS: Validated instruments were used to measure depression and anxiety levels among a sample of radiologic technologists who were members of Advanced Health Education Center. The participants also identified their primary work shift and their frequency of working weekends and taking call. RESULTS: There were 173 completed survey responses for this study. Most radiologic technologists in this study experienced mild symptoms of depression (62, 35.8%) and anxiety (57, 32.9%). Nearly half of the participants indicated that their depression and anxiety made it difficult for them to perform their jobs effectively, and about one-third of the participants believed those symptoms were intensified by shift work. A strong, positive relationship was identified between participants' total depression and anxiety scores (P < .001). There were no significant differences between shift work and total depression score (P = .06) or total anxiety score (P = .28). A significant association was found between the frequency of working weekend shifts and depression levels (P < .001) with a moderate effect size. Most of the participants identified support from family or friends, prayer and spiritual activities, and prescribed medication as common coping strategies. DISCUSSION: Findings revealed that the radiologic technologists in this study did not rely heavily on employer-based resources, such as employee assistance programs, to cope with their depression and anxiety symptoms. One speculation for underuse of these employer-based resources might be fear of being stigmatized by management or personal perceived stigma against asking for help. There is an opportunity for increased awareness of available mental health resources and acceptance of mental health management to erase the common, negative stigma associated with seeking out professional resources. CONCLUSION: Radiologic technologists in this study experienced depression and anxiety symptoms that affected their work performance and correlated with working weekend shifts; however, there was no significant relationship between shift work and depression or anxiety in this sample of radiologic technologists.

Fix Your Leaky Pipeline: Support Women in Pursuit of Advanced Degrees.

Completing a doctoral program is a daunting journey for any individual. Working full-time and juggling personal demands make the journey more complex. This monograph explores the unique motivations women who travel this path possess, identifies barriers in completion of a doctoral program for women, and tells the story of one group of women who developed a working model for a supportive writing group. As numbers of female health professions students and education leaders increase, institutions must identify mechanisms for support of women interested in pursuing an academic doctoral degree, preparing academic institutions for future diversity changes in health care.

COVID-19 Planning Among Radiologic Science Programs: Response Mitigation Activities.

PURPOSE: To examine radiologic science programs' mitigation activities and educators' experiences related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response planning. METHODS: Using a mixed-methods approach, educators in magnetic resonance, medical dosimetry, radiation therapy, and radiography programs were surveyed to capture their experiences and mitigation strategies related to COVID-19 response planning. Quantitative data were summarized using descriptive statistics and percentages. Thematic analyses were performed on the qualitative responses. RESULTS: A total of 274 educators responded. Educators reported being somewhat comfortable with modifying clinical experiences (79, 28.8%), moderately comfortable with adjusting assessment procedures (112, 40.9%), and extremely comfortable with changing delivery of didactic content (115, 42%). Incidentally, 220 (80.3%) educators thought adjusting to a new course delivery approach (eg, face-to-face to online format) was the greatest challenge for faculty during the pandemic. Notably, half of the educators in this study questioned the quality of online (remote) learning. Specific to program policies, educators indicated that access restrictions to campus buildings (263, 96%) and removal of students from clinical sites (254, 92.7%) were implemented during the pandemic. DISCUSSION: Educators self-reported a moderate to strong comfort level with curricular modification. The area of modification that yielded the most uncertainty arose from alterations of clinical experiences. Thematic analyses revealed concerns related to personal protective equipment procurement and clinical sites prohibiting students from completing rotations. However, educators created innovative alternatives to enhance clinical education by providing simulations, case study analyses, and virtual tours of facilities during the pandemic. Securing educational technology resources, such as lockdown browser software, and working with institutional instructional designers might provide some resolution to educators' concerns regarding the quality of online (remote) learning. CONCLUSION: Archiving radiologic science programs' COVID-19 response efforts is important. The compilation of mitigation strategies will inform and guide programs on contingency planning for future pandemic and emergent conditions.

Scholarly Productivity Among Educators in Radiologic Sciences and Other Health Care Professions: A Comparative Approach.

PURPOSE: To compare scholarly productivity among dental hygiene, medical imaging and radiation therapy, medical laboratory science, nursing, and respiratory care educators. METHODS: Using a mixed-methods approach, educators were surveyed to compare their engagement in scholarly activities and identify motivators, employer support measures, and barriers associated with scholarship engagement. Quantitative data were analyzed using percentages, descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis H tests, and Welch F tests. Thematic analyses were performed on the qualitative responses. RESULTS: Of the 360 completed surveys, 295 (81.9%) participants indicated that they engaged in scholarly activities. Medical laboratory science educators wrote significantly more peer-reviewed journal articles than did medical imaging and radiation therapy educators (P = .004). Medical laboratory science educators ranked career advancement as a significantly higher motivator than did nursing educators (P = .045); nursing educators ranked personal satisfaction as a significantly higher motivator than did educators from respiratory care (P = .002) and medical laboratory science (P = .009); and medical laboratory science educators ranked pressure from institution hierarchy as a significantly higher motivator than did dental hygiene educators (P = .005) and medical imaging and radiation therapy educators (P = .043). Thematic analyses revealed that participants consider collaboration to be a motivating factor to engage in scholarship; employer support measures should include guidance with grant writing and funding; and barriers that limit productivity include a lack of time, program faculty, and understanding where to begin. DISCUSSION: Initiatives such as mentoring programs should be implemented to promote collaborative efforts among medical imaging and radiation therapy educators to increase productivity in scholarship, particularly in peer-reviewed publications, and minimize potential barriers. In addition, the ASRT Foundation created new grant tiers for radiologic technologists and radiation therapists who have an interest in conducting research and publishing their results. This opportunity can advance scholarly productivity in the profession. CONCLUSION: Communicating the value of scholarship engagement to medical imaging and radiation therapy educators is important so that the profession can advance to its full potential as a distinct allied health profession.