Chest Equivalent Dose as a Symbolic Radiation Communication Tool: Leadership Implications for Nurses' Knowledge,...

Communicating radiation dose to nurses using Sievert-based units may be difficult to interpret and may heighten anxiety. Chest Equivalent Dose (CED) is a symbolic approach that anchors dose information to a familiar chest imaging reference frame.

To compare the effects of Chest Equivalent Dose (CED) versus conventional Sievert-based dose communication on nurses' radiation knowledge, radiation anxiety, and radiation-related feelings/experiences.

A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest comparative study was conducted among nurses in Jordan. Participants received Sievert-based education (n=40) or CED-based education (n=31). Radiation knowledge (RKQ), radiation anxiety (RAQ), and radiation-related feelings and experiences (RREF) were measured immediately before and after the session. Paired- and independent-samples tests were used, and time effects were explored using mixed-model analyses.

Baseline scores did not differ between groups (all p>0.05). In the CED group, RKQ increased from 59.76±8.32 to 79.76±10.16, while RAQ decreased from 57.97±1.33 to 36.74±1.83 and RREF decreased from 77.58±2.87 to 47.12±2.90 (all p<0.001). In the Sievert group, RKQ was unchanged (56.08±10.89 to 58.32±9.04; p=0.329), with small decreases in RAQ (58.23±1.19 to 56.45±1.58; p<0.001) and RREF (77.67±3.02 to 75.67±3.17; p=0.005). Posttest outcomes favoured CED for RKQ, RAQ, and RREF (all p<0.001).

CED-based symbolic dose communication produced larger improvements in knowledge and larger reductions in anxiety and radiation-related experiences than Sievert-based education.