Anxiety in radiology nurses about occupational exposure: A qualitative analysis

Abstract

We did a questionnaire survey on perception of hospital radiology nurses in Japan about prevention of their own occupational exposure to radiation. A qualitative analysis of responses from 131 staff nurses to an open-ended question asking their thoughts and opinions about the issue yielded 13 major categories, 26 categories, and 60 subcategories, which showed that nurses felt anxieties over uncertainties about exposure dose and its effects, and these anxieties were amplified by their lack of knowledge and awareness of perfunctory radiological protection. The unsatisfactory protection resulted from the management system, excessive physical burden of wearing personal protective equipment, and human factors of work environments such as interdisciplinary relationship. These anxieties could lead to aversion to, and hence reduced quality of, their radiology nursing care. Collaboration across organizations and occupations is needed to improve the situation.