Patient-centred care and technical challenges during polytrauma imaging - Experiences from radiography students

Patient-centred care (PCC) is essential in radiography for polytrauma patients emphasising empathy, clear communication, and patient well-being. Polytrauma patients require tailored imaging approaches, often involving multiple modalities. Managing and handling these patients during imaging are key components of radiography training to develop the necessary competencies. This study aimed to explore the experiences of third- and fourth-year radiography students in applying PCC during the imaging of polytrauma patients.

A qualitative interpretive phenomenological design was employed to capture the in-depth experiences of third and fourth-year radiography students at the University of Namibia. The study utilised purposive sampling to select participants. Data were collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews, recorded and transcribed for interpretive phenomenological analysis. Trustworthiness was ensured through credibility, dependability, confirmability, and transferability measures.

Twenty-one students (3 males, 18 females; 10 third-year, 11 final-year) participated. Three interpretive themes shaped the findings: Compassionate Patient Care, reflecting students' commitment to balancing technical accuracy with empathy while managing personal fears; Professional Challenges in Polytrauma Imaging, highlighting emotional trauma, technical challenges, and communication barriers as central obstacles; and Professional Transformation Through Collaboration, illustrating how teamwork and reflective practice fostered growth, confidence, and resilience. The findings highlight the human and transformative nature of students' experiences in imaging polytrauma patients.

This study highlights radiography students' experiences imaging polytrauma patients, emphasizing compassionate care, professional challenges, and collaborative growth. The interplay between technical skills, emotional resilience, and relational competence underscores the need for curricula that address patient-centred care, adaptive problem-solving, and emotional resilience to prepare students for clinical challenges.

Radiography curricula should incorporate emotional resilience training, patient-centred care principles, and adaptive problem-solving to enhance students' preparedness for real-world clinical challenges.