Graduate radiographers' experience of learning MRI practice: A pilot study using constructivist grounded theory...

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Radiography
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Background:

• The UK faces a shortage of MRI radiographers, leading to direct entry for graduates.
• Current MRI training is often in-house, unregulated, and lacks formal qualifications or competency frameworks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the experiences of graduate radiographers learning MRI practice.
• To understand the learning pathways and educational needs of new MRI practitioners.

Main Methods:

• Constructivist grounded theory methodology.
• Semi-structured interviews with three recent graduate radiographers in the UK.
• Data analysis using Charmaz's grounded theory process and NVivo software.

Main Results:

• Five core categories emerged: aspirations, learning engagement, environmental influences, confidence, and need for further learning.
• Undergraduate MRI placements influenced career choice but provided insufficient preparation.
• Participants felt competent but actively pursued additional formal MRI education.

Conclusions:

• Graduate radiographers' MRI learning is a multi-stage process influenced by various factors.
• A need exists for standardized national training programs to ensure consistent MRI radiographer education and assessment.
• Further research with a larger sample size is recommended to validate these findings.