Behind the screens: Burnout and compassion fatigue in the United Kingdom sonography workforce

Sonographers work in high-pressure clinical environments that increase their risk of burnout and compassion fatigue (CF). Although UK evidence continues to grow, uncertainty remains around the organisational and workplace factors that shape the severity of these outcomes. This study investigates the prevalence of burnout and CF among UK sonographers and examines associations with demographic characteristics, workload, organisational support, and workplace factors.

This study employed a cross-sectional quantitative design, with data collected from 176 practising UK sonographers through an online survey. The ProQOL scale and demographic questions were utilised to collect data, which were analysed descriptively. Chi-square analyses were also performed, using collapsed categories, to examine associations between participant characteristics and burnout/CF severity.

The majority (98.9%) of sonographers experienced some level of burnout or CF, with 26.1% reporting severe symptoms. A few participants perceived available support as adequate amid burnouts. Employer support and region of practice showed the strongest associations with burnout severity (p < 0.001), while age, gender, weekly working hours, and overtime were not independently associated. Despite high burnout levels, respondents continued to report strong empathic engagement with patients.

Burnout and CF are prevalent among the sonography workforce in the UK, largely associated with organisational pressures rather than individual factors. Coordinated policy action is required to protect sonographers' wellbeing and sustainability.

The findings highlight the need for organisation led interventions, including improved access to psychological support services, realistic workload management, protected recovery time, strengthened peer support and preceptorship frameworks to promote staff wellbeing and career development.