MISCONCEPTIONS REGARDING THE X- RAY PROFESSION

Abstract

: X-ray technicians constitute the third largest group among health care professions. Many people are unfamiliar with and unaware of the profession and the work areas and extensive options that it offers. Moreover, those who are acquainted with the profession and are interested in it, usually have a misconception about the nature of the work and the risks it involves. This paper aims to present a review of the literature that discusses the imaging profession as a field that is misconceived. The paper shows that there is shortage of X-ray technicians on the labor market. It explores whether this shortage is affected by the wide public’s misconception about the X-ray technician profession regarding the following issues: engaging in a profession that involves ionizing radiation; making a decision about the choice of the profession; and temporarily misconceiving the profession during the COVID-19 pandemic for fear of being exposed to the virus at work. The literature review illustrates that except for a few countries, there is severe shortage of X-ray technicians on the labor market. The assumption is that this shortage is due to the misconceived image of the profession. This image is associated with a lack of clarity regarding the nature of the profession, its various study pathways and specializations and, mainly, the misguided information about the exposure and risks involved when working in an ionizing radiation environment. This perception has a strong impact on the decision to choose the X-ray technician profession and directly affects the low supply that exists today on the labor market.