A Model to Facilitate Resilience Among Diagnostic Radiography Students

A significant increase in the demand for radiography examinations and the corresponding rise in the workload of radiographers has been noted. Radiography imaging departments serve patients presenting with a wide range of conditions and abilities, and student radiographers have reported feeling unprepared, lacking confidence and experiencing stress and anxiety during such interactions. Additionally, they encounter challenges with effective communication and interpersonal engagement, making it difficult for them to recover from difficult experiences. These challenges highlight the need for research on resilience among student radiographers. The aim of the paper is to describe the process undertaken to develop a model to facilitate resilience in DR students, and to present the developed model.

A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive, contextual and theory-generative approach was used to develop a model for facilitating resilience among diagnostic radiography (DR) students. Data were collected through focus groups with first-year DR students. Finalisation of the model was informed through input by experts in model development, radiography and nursing education.

Five focus groups were analysed using thematic analysis, yielding four themes: students' understanding of resilience, students' readiness to commence in the clinical workplace, interpersonal interactions as they relate to the clinical environment and adapting to the clinical environment. Through inductive reasoning, central concepts were identified with facilitation, self-efficacy and social connections, forming the basis of the resilience model.

The model designed for the facilitation of resilience is recommended for use as a framework for educators to foster resilience among DR students.