A wellbeing podcast for diagnostic radiography students

Introduction

Diagnostic radiography students experience challenges during clinical placements, which have the potential to impact students' emotional wellbeing. This study aimed to explore radiography students' perception of the newly developed podcast series as a wellbeing support tool.

Methods

A mixed methods study was conducted analysing data from listeners, including usage data from the podcast host site, surveys, and focus groups. Usage data was analysed descriptively. A bespoke survey, using a 5-point Likert scale and fixed-response questions was analysed descriptively. Two focus groups consisting of ten participants in total were conducted and data was analysed using thematic analysis.

Results

There were 1201 downloads of the ‘Breathe-in Radiography Podcast’ series across 20 countries and 17 platforms during the study period. A total of 66 complete survey responses demonstrated an overall positive perception of the podcast series. Five main themes were identified from the focus groups: integrated with other activities, accessed when experiencing emotional challenges, relatability to peers, impact on behaviour and mindset, and future podcast content.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated students' positive perceptions of a podcast for support during clinical placement. Further studies are needed to maximise the benefits of podcasting to radiography students and to establish a direct effect of podcasts on student wellbeing.