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sonographer stress. According to Tisdale, sonographers were facing a high clinical demand prior
to the COVID-19 pandemic and feeling some degree of burnout due to staffing issues. With the
start of the pandemic, sonography clinical volume actually decreased and other factors came into
play.

“According to Karen, safety was an initial concern,” Deitte says. “Questions arose about what
the recommendations were for PPE [personal protective equipment] since sonographers are in
very close contact with their patients during scanning. Fortunately, our sonographers feel well

supported with the appropriate PPE.”

Small acts of kindness can also make a big difference to well-being during this time of social
distancing, Deitte adds. Picking up the phone and thanking the sonographers or texting messages
of gratitude can go a long way.

In a study conducted by Lynn Reingold, MSRS, RT(R)(CT), senior CT technologist for the VA in
Salt Lake City, RTs everywhere expressed roughly the same sentiments, pre- and post-COVID:

They work hard, wish they were paid more, and do not always feel appreciated, she says. Before
COVID-19, cases were sometimes double booked. In the current pandemic environment, RTs
initially felt “underworked,” due to a suspension of all elective and nonurgent exams.

“Now, we will have to furiously overwork to catch back up to where we were,” Reingold says.

Good and Bad Change

According to a study Reingold published in 2015, “Stress affects radiologic technologists who
must interact with physicians, nurses, department supervisors, emergency department

personnel, housekeeping personnel, maintenance staff, patients, and patients’ families. Radiologic
technologists often must work rotating shifts, handle trauma situations, and inject iodinated
contrast agents that might cause an allergic reaction in the patient. Physical stressors include
positioning patients, moving equipment, and the risk of exposure to ionizing radiation, which can

cause physical harm.”
Bill Algee, FAHR, CRA, director of imaging services at Columbus Regional Hospital in Columbus,

Indiana, notes that in the imaging community, there has been an atmosphere of “do more with
less.” Meeting performance metrics and productivity percentages often falls “on the backs” of
the radiologic technologists.

“To keep business up, you either need to increase volume or have techs work fewer hours, if
you can’t increase the volume,” he says. “This leaves the burden on fewer techs.”

A profession with the number of variables that RTs face on a regular basis and its inherent

stressors can also be what attracts people to the field. Jacqui Rose, MBA, CRA, FAHRA, director
of medical imaging, telecommunications, IT, and lab at Upper Valley Medical Center in Troy,
Ohio, says change can be a benefit and a challenge.