Judith Johnson1,2, Jane Arezina3, Alison McGuinness4, Anne-Marie Culpan5, Louise Hall6. 1. School of Psychology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK. 2. Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford, UK. 3. Faculty of Medicine and Health, Specialist Science Education Department, Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK. 4. Department of Ultrasound, Pinderfields General Hospital, Wakefield, UK. 5. Anne-Marie Culpan, Institute of Imaging Education, Health Education England, UK. 6. Faculty of Medicine and Health, Leeds Institute of Health Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Sonographers report high levels of burnout. For those working in obstetric ultrasound, one frequently cited stressor is the delivery of bad or difficult news. Training in news delivery may reduce sonographer stress levels, but no studies have investigated sonographer experiences of this training. AIMS: To investigate sonographer experiences of difficult news delivery training and preferences for training techniques, and to assess whether news delivery training is associated with lower burnout and higher wellbeing. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey measured occupational characteristics, news delivery training experiences and preferences, burnout (on two dimensions of exhaustion and disengagement), and general mental wellbeing. RESULTS: Ninety sonographers (85 female; mean age = 47) responded. The majority of participants thought training in difficult news delivery had improved their practice. Preferred training techniques were observation of clinical practice and receiving service-user input. Eighty per cent of participants were experiencing exhaustion, 43.3% were experiencing disengagement and 88.9% could be classed as having a minor psychiatric disorder. Having received difficult news delivery training was associated with lower levels of disengagement, even when other variables were controlled for. DISCUSSION: News delivery training is perceived to be effective by sonographers and may help to reduce sonographer burnout levels.
BACKGROUND: Sonographers report high levels of burnout. For those working in obstetric ultrasound, one frequently cited stressor is the delivery of bad or difficult news. Training in news delivery may reduce sonographer stress levels, but no studies have investigated sonographer experiences of this training. AIMS: To investigate sonographer experiences of difficult news delivery training and preferences for training techniques, and to assess whether news delivery training is associated with lower burnout and higher wellbeing. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey measured occupational characteristics, news delivery training experiences and preferences, burnout (on two dimensions of exhaustion and disengagement), and general mental wellbeing. RESULTS: Ninety sonographers (85 female; mean age = 47) responded. The majority of participants thought training in difficult news delivery had improved their practice. Preferred training techniques were observation of clinical practice and receiving service-user input. Eighty per cent of participants were experiencing exhaustion, 43.3% were experiencing disengagement and 88.9% could be classed as having a minor psychiatric disorder. Having received difficult news delivery training was associated with lower levels of disengagement, even when other variables were controlled for. DISCUSSION: News delivery training is perceived to be effective by sonographers and may help to reduce sonographer burnout levels.
Entities:
Keywords:
Ultrasound; burnout; communication; sonography; stress; training
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