Are radiographers suffering from symptoms of compassion fatigue due to occupational stress: A systematic review

Introduction: Repeated exposure to challenging or traumatic situations can lead to a phenomenon called compassion fatigue (CF). This can present as increased stress and anxiety in staff and a reduced patient relationship. If untreated it can lead to sickness and attrition from the profession. This systematic review aims to investigate the evidence of stressors leading to CF in diagnostic radiographers. Method: A review protocol was developed and registered on PROSPERO. Database and grey literature searches were carried out. Studies were selected against pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria for review. No meta-analysis was possible therefore the data were presented as a narrative. Results: Fifteen studies were selected for review published between 1982 and 2020. Evidence demonstrates that diagnostic radiographers suffer from high levels of occupational stress, however, stress is perceived rather than defined. Common causes of occupational stress were identified as poor patient interactions and a lack of time to spend with patients. There is a lack of evidence to show how this stress affects radiographer health or their ability to provide compassionate care. Conclusion: Diagnostic radiographers are prone to suffering from symptoms that can be attributed to CF. This has been present for an extended period, and the main changes have been a decrease in job satisfaction and accomplishment. Patient interaction was identified as a cause, but it is unclear if this affects staff ability to be compassionate. Further work is required to find ways to mitigate these effects and prevent continued deterioration. Implications for practice: This review has highlighted that the issue of CF may be getting worse for some radiographers and that work is required to design and implement workable interventions to try and mitigate these issues.