RADIOGRAPHY STUDENTS: SOURCES OF STRESS AND COPING METHODS

Abstract

Radiography Students: Sources of Stress and Coping Methods Abstract Background: Radiography students experience stress as they strive to meet the challenging academic requirements of radiography programmes. The inherent challenges of radiography education impose several academic and clinical stressors, and students may thus find that learning to cope with stress is beneficial in meeting the many challenges of their academic and clinical settings. Despite several published studies on stress among healthcare students, however, there is currently no literature on sources of stress and coping methods among radiography students at Cardiff University. Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the stress levels, academic and clinical stressors, and coping methods of Cardiff University radiography students. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study with a self-developed survey was conducted utilising a purposive sampling technique to survey 185 second- and third-year radiography students at Cardiff University online. SPSS version 27 was then used to analyse the collected data to produce descriptive statistics and a simple linear regression, and to conduct an independent sample t-test. Results: Ninety-eight participants completed the survey, resulting in a 52.9% response rate. The majority of respondents were female (75.5%). The overall results revealed that stress levels among radiography students were high, and that female students experienced higher stress levels. The most common academic stressors were examinations, grades, and assignment deadlines, while the most common clinical practice stressors were feelings of unpreparedness for clinical practice, followed by making mistakes, and providing care for difficult and critical patients. The coping methods most commonly used were spending time with family and friends, taking time off, and having a hobby. Conclusion: Radiography education can be stressful for students, and accurately assessing stress levels and understanding the factors that contribute to stress can assist faculty members in creating an effective support environment to ensure that students can achieve adequate emotional growth and career development.