Radiographer's work in Finland – A conceptual review

Abstract

Radiographer's professional title and terms related to radiographer's work vary between countries, and there has so far been little systematic conceptual investigation on the subject. In this article, the content of radiographer's work and related terminology in a Finnish context are reviewed by means of the HMCD concept analysis method. In addition, the appropriateness of “nursing” is reviewed, as it has traditionally been closely connected to radiographer's work and education in Finland. Data consisted of literature, expert interviews and written material, and were analysed with qualitative content analysis.

Terms describing radiographer's work were found to be diverse. As a result, a new term, clinical radiography and radiotherapy (CRR), was introduced to label radiographer's work in Finland. CRR seems to consist of three main aspects: technical radiation usage and radiation protection, patient care and service, and service for a health care context. The results suggest CRR including qualities such as: actions based on theoretical and practical–technical expertise of radiographer; guidance by individuality-respectful client-orientation and interactive collaboration; implementation as a process; and emphasis on responsibility for safety and optimizing decision-making.

The results support the previous conceptions of the content of radiographer's work, its multi-dimensional nature, and demand for expertise. Technical radiation usage and radiation protection seems to be the focal aspect, although the aspect of patient care and service seems to be an essential part of CRR in Finland. The concept of nursing (as defined in nursing science) was not found suitable for describing radiographer's work in health care in its entirety.