Factors that Influence Radiographers' Decisions to Pursue Postgraduate Education: An Exploratory Qualitative Study

Background: Radiography has continued to expand since the discovery of x-rays with newer technologies and responsibilities for radiographers. Consequently, radiographers need to learn new skills in order to remain relevant in health care. Radiography currently needs a generation of radiographers who can also get engaged in research and advance the profession through evidence-based practices. Achieving this requires radiographers to be trained above the basic qualification, yet there are still few radiographers embarking on postgraduate education. The purpose of this study was to explore factors that influence radiographers' decisions to pursue postgraduate education, as well as explore ways of improving access to such education. Methods: An exploratory qualitative study was conducted with postgraduate radiography students at Cardiff University. Purposive convenience sampling was used to recruit participants. Data were collected using individual face-to-face interviews, which were then analyzed using thematic analysis and summarized into themes and subthemes. Results: There were nine participants interviewed, providing adequate data saturation. Of the nine, three were female and six were men. Eight of them were basic radiographers, whereas one was a senior radiographer. Radiographers were influenced by intrinsic and extrinsic factors when deciding to pursue postgraduate radiography education. Key intrinsic factors included desire for personal professional development, desire for new challenges, and search for satisfaction within the profession. Key extrinsic factors included requirements for continuous professional development, availability of funding, and search for improved remuneration. Key suggestions for improving access to postgraduate education were identified. Conclusions: Both external and internal factors simultaneously influence radiographers' decisions to embark on postgraduate education, and all these factors need to be addressed in order to improve access to such education for radiographers.