Towards defining the competencies and leadership attributes for radiographer-led management in clinical practice: A scoping review

Introduction

Radiographer-led management is multifaceted and requires the optimal balance of clinical, administrative, technical, and people management duties. These duties demand a broad range of managerial and leadership competencies. However, the exploration of how to effectively apply these competencies and attributes in the context of clinical Radiography practice for senior leadership is limited. This review aims to identify and synthesise findings from existing literature on competencies, and leadership attributes essential for radiographer-led management.

Methods

A literature search via EBSCOhost (MEDLINE, CINAHL, SCOPUS, Academic Search Ultimate) and key Radiography journals for relevant articles was conducted (August 2023 to January 2025). Eligible studies were screened and documented using the PRISMA-ScR framework. Data were extracted and thematically analysed using NVivo™ (v14) to identify key themes. Narrative synthesis was used to present the core competencies and leadership attributes relevant to Radiographer-led management.

Results

The initial search identified 1905 articles. Following various levels of screening, twenty-five documents were included, comprising studies (n = 23) and policy documents (n = 2), primarily from the UK and Australia. Team collaboration and communication skills were the major competencies highlighted. Furthermore, leadership attributes, including interprofessional skills and visionary thinking, emerged as crucial for radiographer-led management. These findings centre on the need for collaboration, interdisciplinary teamwork, strategic vision, resilience, professional development and role clarity.

Conclusion

This review identified competencies and leadership attributes relevant to radiography-led management. It highlighted challenges, including resource constraints and role ambiguity, while recommending evidence-based leadership training and role alignment to support radiography managers and leaders in delivering efficient services.

Implications for practice

Actionable guidance is required for developing tailored training and clarity of radiographer-led management roles to drive innovation that improves team performance in the delivery of better services.