Introduction
Background
Methods
Design and setting
Sample
Questionnaire
Data collection
Data analysis
Ethical considerations
Results
Sample characteristics
Years in present position | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total | 0–5 years (I) | >5–15 years (II) | >15–25 (III) | >25 (IV) | ||
n (%)a | 378 (93.0) | n = 111 (27.3) | n = 110 (27.1) | n = 61 (15.0) | n = 96 (23.6) | p-value |
Age, m (SD) | 47 (10.6) | 39 (11.1) | 46 (8.8) | 50 (6.8) | 56 (4.8) | <0.001* |
Sex, n (%)b | 0.270* | |||||
Female | 331 (87.6) | 97 (87.7) | 92 (83.6) | 53 (86.9) | 89 (92.7) | |
Male | 47 (12.4) | 14 (12.6) | 18 (16.4) | 8 (16.1) | 7 (7.3) | |
Present position, n (%)c | 0.036** | |||||
Reg. radiographer | 306 (81.6) | 89 (81.7) | 81 (74.3) | 52 (85.2) | 84 (87.5) | |
Reg. radiographer with specialisation | 29 (7.7) | 7 (6.4) | 15 (13.8) | 4 (6.6) | 3 (3.1) | |
Reg. nurse | 7 (1.9) | 0 (0.0) | 5 (4.6) | 1 (1.6) | 1 (1.0) | |
Reg. radiographer/nurse in management position | 33 (8.8) | 13 (11.9) | 8 (7.3) | 4 (6.6) | 8 (8.3) | |
Basic education, n (%)b | <0.001**; A, B, E, F | |||||
Reg. radiographer | 276 (73.0) | 96 (86.5) | 55 (50.0) | 39 (63.9) | 86 (89.6) | |
Reg. nurse in diagnostic radiology | 100 (26.5) | 15 (13.5) | 53 (48.2) | 22 (36.1) | 10 (10.4) | |
Other | 2 (0.5) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (1.8) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | |
Highest academic level, n (%)d | 0.394** | |||||
High school diploma | 86 (33.9) | 11 (11.8) | 16 (20.8) | 19 (63.3) | 40 (74.1) | |
Bachelor degree | 151 (59.4) | 77 (82.8) | 52 (67.5) | 9 (30.0) | 13 (24.1) | |
Master degree | 14 (5.5) | 3 (3.2) | 8 (10.4) | 2 (6.7) | 1 (1.9) | |
Postgraduate level | 3 (1.2) | 2 (2.2) | 1 (1.3) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | |
Working place, n (%) e | <0.001**; B, C, E | |||||
University hospital | 111 (29.8) | 41 (36.9) | 30 (28.0) | 10 (16.7) | 30 (31.6) | |
County hospital | 126 (33.8) | 40 (36.0) | 45 (42.1) | 21 (35.0) | 20 (21.1) | |
District hospital | 136 (36.5) | 30 (27.0) | 32 (29.9) | 29 (48.3) | 45 (47.4) |
Self-assessed level of professional competencies
Years in present position | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
0–5 years (I) | >5–15 years (II) | >15–25 years (III) | >25 years (IV) | ||
Nurse-initiated care | M (SD) | M (SD) | M (SD) | M (SD) | p-value |
Carrying out doctors’ instructions | 8.57 (1.51) | 8.91 (1.48) | 8.97 (1.23) | 9.21 (1.07) | 0.011; C |
Applying ethical guidelines | 8.64 (1.33) | 8.74 (1.16) | 8.75 (1.24) | 8.99 (1.01) | 0.199 |
Adequately informing the patient | 9.01 (1.02) | 9.10 (0.83) | 9.11 (0.92) | 9.43 (0.65) | 0.005; C, E |
Guiding and educating the patient | 8.76 (1.15) | 8.84 (1.21) | 8.98 (1.31) | 9.22 (0.95) | 0.027; C |
Empowering the patient by involving him/her in the examination and treatment | 8.63 (1.36) | 8.69 (1.13) | 8.95 (1.17) | 9.13 (0.98) | 0.010; E |
Guiding the patient’s relatives | 8.20 (1.78) | 8.29 (1.46) | 8.42 (1.25) | 8.76 (1.33) | 0.050; C |
Encouraging and supporting the patient | 8.81 (1.21) | 8.81 (1.08) | 8.97 (1.06) | 9.19 (0.87) | 0.040 |
Protecting the patient’s integrity | 9.00 (1.19) | 9.19 (0.97) | 9.22 (0.89) | 9.33 (0.95) | 0.147 |
Alleviating the patient’s anxiety | 8.64 (1.20) | 8.76 (1.13) | 8.93 (1.08) | 9.14 (1.04) | 0.012; C |
Judging the risk of leaving the patient unattended | 8.38 (1.54) | 8.82 (1.21) | 8.97 (1.02) | 9.08 (0.99) | 0.001; C |
Observing and monitoring the patient | 8.26 (1.59) | 8.35 (1.78) | 8.23 (1.52) | 8.65 (1.41) | 0.281 |
Identifying and encountering the patient in a state of shock | 6.84 (2.11) | 7.01 (1.86) | 7.02 (2.15) | 7.58 (1.94) | 0.067 |
Identifying pain and pain reactions | 7.85 (1.51) | 7.99 (1.42) | 7.73 (1.66) | 8.34 (1.44) | 0.055 |
Collaborating with internal and external colleagues | 8.57 (1.18) | 8.70 (1.01) | 8.72 (1.23) | 8.76 (1.23) | 0.687 |
Collaborating with other internal and external professionals | 8.39 (1.42) | 8.56 (1.25) | 8.45 (1.48) | 8.62 (1.30) | 0.629 |
Supervising and training colleagues and other co-workers | 7.90 (1.67) | 8.04 (1.33) | 8.14 (1.56) | 8.62 (1.23) | 0.004 |
Reporting to colleagues and other professionals, internal as well as external | 8.32 (1.47) | 8.33 (1.39) | 8.42 (1.57) | 8.67 (1.24) | 0.270 |
Participating in quality improvement regarding patient safety and care | 7.55 (1.83) | 7.39 (1.74) | 7.15 (1.96) | 7.91 (1.50) | 0.048; F |
M (SD) | 8.28 (1.10) | 8.46 (0.83) | 8.45 (1.01) | 8.85 (0.80) | <0.001 |
Technical and radiographic processes | |||||
Organising and planning, taking account of the clinical situation | 8.06 (1.36) | 8.35 (1.15) | 8.42 (1.08) | 8.76 (0.99) | <0.001; C |
Responsibility for preparing the medico-technical equipment | 8.52 (1.22) | 8.78 (1.02) | 8.69 (1.19) | 9.01 (1.13) | 0.022; C |
Independently planning and preparing work on the basis of existing documentation | 8.21 (1.23) | 8.55 (1.32) | 8.61 (1.10) | 9.02 (0.92) | <0.001; C, E |
Prioritising patients in the work flow | 8.09 (1.80) | 8.17 (1.52) | 8.58 (1.24) | 8.78 (1.28) | 0.004; C, E |
Adapting the examination to the patient’s prerequisites and needs | 8.81 (1.11) | 8.91 (1.35) | 9.07 (1.29) | 9.25 (0.99) | 0.052 |
Minimising radiation doses for patient and staff | 8.61 (1.33) | 8.71 (1.46) | 8.88 (1.13) | 9.03 (1.05) | 0.104 |
Producing accurate and correct images | 8.83 (1.12) | 8.75 (1.35) | 8.93 (1.08) | 9.22 (0.89) | 0.021; E |
Evaluating the quality of the medical image in relation to the referral and the question stated therein | 8.74 (1.01) | 8.75 (1.35) | 8.93 (1.00) | 9.21 (0.91) | 0.008; C, E |
Optimising the quality of the image | 8.26 (1.49) | 8.36 (1.37) | 8.52 (1.47) | 8.89 (1.03) | 0.007; C, E |
Preliminary assessment of images | 8.06 (1.38) | 8.06 (1.57) | 8.54 (1.15) | 8.73 (1.46) | 0.053 |
M (SD) | 7.92 (0.93) | 8.04 (0.90) | 8.13 (0.87) | 8.47 (0.75) | <0.001 |
Self-assessed use of professional competencies
Years in present position | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0–5 years (I) | >5–15 years (II) | >15–25 years (III) | >25 years (IV) | p-value | |||||||||
Responses in the RCS* | 3 | 4 | 5–6 | 3 | 4 | 5–6 | 3 | 4 | 5–6 | 3 | 4 | 5–6 | |
Nurse-initiated care | |||||||||||||
1. Carrying out doctors’ instructions | 20 | 62 | - | 9 | 74 | - | 8 | 71 | - | 9 | 79 | - | 0.233 |
2. Applying ethical guidelines | 5 | 14 | 76 | 8 | 24 | 66 | 13 | 12 | 71 | 3 | 14 | 81 | 0.031; E |
3. Adequately informing the patient | 2 | 7 | 86 | 3 | 5 | 92 | - | 7 | 92 | 1 | 2 | 97 | 0.066 |
4. Guiding and educating the patient | 7 | 12 | 75 | 6 | 10 | 80 | 7 | 3 | 84 | 4 | 10 | 85 | 0.436 |
5. Empowering the patient by involving him/her in the examination and treatment | 6 | 14 | 74 | 5 | 17 | 76 | 7 | 16 | 71 | 2 | 10 | 88 | 0.164 |
6. Guiding the patient’s relatives | 19 | 15 | 54 | 32 | 16 | 43 | 18 | 23 | 53 | 19 | 16 | 63 | 0.011; E |
7. Encouraging and supporting the patient | 14 | 25 | 55 | 12 | 21 | 66 | 12 | 16 | 71 | 4 | 14 | 81 | 0.004; C,E |
8. Protecting the patient’s integrity | 3 | 13 | 79 | 4 | 7 | 88 | 2 | 10 | 87 | 3 | 9 | 87 | 0.406 |
9. Alleviating the patient’s anxiety | 12 | 23 | 60 | 6 | 15 | 77 | 7 | 13 | 77 | 4 | 15 | 80 | 0.016; C |
10. Judging the risk of leaving the patient unattended | 23 | 17 | 52 | 18 | 14 | 61 | 15 | 15 | 64 | 10 | 15 | 70 | 0.118 |
11. Observing and monitoring the patient | 19 | 22 | 47 | 19 | 19 | 51 | 21 | 18 | 49 | 17 | 9 | 65 | 0.465 |
12. Identifying and encountering the patient in a state of shock | 29 | 10 | 20 | 32 | 14 | 19 | 28 | 10 | 21 | 22 | 9 | 33 | 0.179 |
13. Identifying pain and pain reactions | 23 | 30 | 36 | 23 | 28 | 40 | 28 | 26 | 38 | 16 | 30 | 48 | 0.115 |
14. Collaborating with internal and external colleagues | 5 | 17 | 70 | 14 | 14 | 69 | 15 | 26 | 56 | 12 | 16 | 71 | 0.192 |
15. Collaborating with other internal and external professionals | 10 | 19 | 65 | 13 | 16 | 62 | 23 | 30 | 44 | 17 | 14 | 65 | 0.039; B |
16. Supervising and training colleagues and other co-workers | 32 | 14 | 46 | 29 | 24 | 38 | 16 | 26 | 43 | 26 | 8 | 59 | 0.025; E |
17. Reporting to colleagues and other professionals, internal as well as external | 25 | 18 | 33 | 36 | 22 | 29 | 36 | 16 | 39 | 23 | 21 | 42 | 0.176 |
18. Participating in quality improvement regarding patient safety and care | 24 | 20 | 31 | 42 | 17 | 25 | 39 | 16 | 25 | 33 | 21 | 35 | 0.088 |
Technical and radiographic processes | |||||||||||||
19. Organising and planning taking account of the clinical situation | 11 | 23 | 63 | 10 | 18 | 67 | 7 | 26 | 64 | 2 | 19 | 78 | 0.048; E |
20. Responsibility for preparing the medico-technical equipment | 3 | 18 | 76 | 5 | 13 | 80 | 3 | 18 | 77 | 1 | 12 | 84 | 0.363 |
21. Independently planning and preparing work on the basis of existing documentation | 9 | 19 | 68 | 6 | 15 | 74 | 3 | 15 | 77 | 4 | 8 | 85 | 0.015; C |
22. Prioritising patients in the work flow | 8 | 23 | 60 | 9 | 24 | 60 | 12 | 18 | 62 | 5 | 16 | 77 | 0.005; E |
23. Adapting the examination to the patient’s prerequisites and needs | 5 | 14 | 78 | 5 | 14 | 76 | 5 | 10 | 79 | 2 | 7 | 88 | 0.142 |
24. Minimising radiation doses for patient and staff | 4 | 10 | 79 | 8 | 15 | 69 | 5 | 10 | 77 | - | 12 | 81 | 0.048; E |
25. Producing accurate and correct images | 2 | 5 | 86 | 4 | 11 | 79 | 3 | 15 | 77 | 1 | 5 | 92 | 0.106 |
26. Evaluating the quality of the medical image in relation to the referral and the question stated therein | 2 | 8 | 84 | 4 | 12 | 80 | 2 | 12 | 82 | 4 | 8 | 85 | 0.234 |
27. Optimising the quality of the image | 5 | 14 | 73 | 13 | 11 | 70 | 13 | 20 | 62 | 5 | 6 | 84 | 0.014; E, F |
28. Preliminary assessment of images | 15 | 14 | 64 | 8 | 26 | 55 | 5 | 12 | 75 | 8 | 15 | 73 | 0.021; E |
Variables associated with professional competencies
Dimension/scales of the dependent variable | Model/independent variable | B | 95.0 % CI for B | p-value |
---|---|---|---|---|
Nurse-initiated care (adjusted R2 for model: 0.080) | Age | 0.019 | 0.007 to 0.031 | <0.003 |
Years in present position | 0.008 | −0.002 to 0.018 | 0.111 | |
Work place | −0.187 | −0.404 to 0.030 | 0.090 | |
Technical and radiographic processes (adjusted R2 for model: 0.066) | Age | 0.016 | 0.005 to 0.028 | <0.005 |
Years in present position | 0.007 | −0.002 to 0.017 | 0.138 | |
Work place | −0.074 | −0.283 to 0.136 | 0.488 | |
Radiographers’ competence scale (RCS) (adjusted R2 for model: 0.070) | Age | 0.016 | 0.005 to 0.028 | <0.007 |
Years in present position | 0.007 | −0.003 to 0.017 | 0.154 | |
Work place | −0.187 | −0.402 to 0.027 | 0.087 |
Dimension/scales of the dependent variable | Model/independent variable | B | 95.0 % CI for B | p-value |
---|---|---|---|---|
Nurse-initiated care (adjusted R2 for model: 0.025) | Age | 0.004 | −0.005 to 0.014 | 0.396 |
Years in present position | 0.007 | 0.000 to 0.015 | 0.063 | |
Work place | −0.118 | −0.286 to 0.050 | 0.168 | |
Technical and radiographic processes (adjusted R2 for model: 0.020) | Age | −0.002 | −0.010 to 0.007 | 0.687 |
Years in present position | 0.009 | 0.002 to 0.016 | −0.010 | |
Work place | 0.066 | −0.092 to 0.223 | 0.413 | |
Radiographers’ competence scale (RCS) (adjusted R2 for model: 0.015) | Age | 0.001 | 0.010 to −0.007 | 0.850 |
Years in present position | 0.007 | 0.002 to 0.016 | 0.045 | |
Work place | −0.069 | −0.229 to 0.090 | 0.393 |