Prevalence of workplace-related burnout among diagnostic radiographers at selected public and private radiography departments in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Background/Purpose

Constant profession advances, a broad scope of practice, and the work setting contribute to occupational stress which increases radiographers’ risk of workplace-related burnout. This can have negative consequences for radiographers’ social and psychological wellness, patient safety, and service delivery. The prevalence of workplace-related burnout among diagnostic radiographers is not well-researched in South Africa. Thus, this study aimed to contribute to this knowledge gap.

Methods

An exploratory-descriptive, cross-sectional survey design was used. Diagnostic radiographers (n=29/35; 82.86%), at two research sites, participated. Data collection was through an electronic self-reporting questionnaire based on the burnout assessment scale (BAT). Data analysis was done as prescribed for the BAT scale: distribution frequencies, proportions and norm-referencing to determine the categorisation of scores as very high, high, average, and low.

Results

There was a high prevalence of the core symptoms of workplace-related burnout (44.83%), while the secondary symptoms prevalence was average (48.28%). Three core burnout symptoms contributed to the high burnout score: exhaustion (55.17%), mental distance (37.93%), and emotional impairment (48.28%). The overall cognitive impairment score was average, with the majority of participants scoring low and average (58.62%). Headaches (17.24%) and muscle pain (44.83%) were the most frequently experienced psychosomatic complaints. While a tendency to worry (37.93%), feeling stressed (37.93%), and being disturbed by noise and crowds (34.48%) were the most prevalent psychological complaints identified.

Conclusions

The prevalence of workplace-related burnout was high. Participants demonstrated exhaustion and mental distance, but the lower cognitive impairment score indicates a sense of organisational commitment. Strategies need to be considered to promote workplace wellbeing to mitigate the development of burnout. Workplace-related wellness and wellbeing strategies would be beneficial as the participants noted work stress as their primary stressor.