The Student Room Group

What is it like working as a Radiographer in NHS?

Hi,

I'm a mature student and I am thinking about studying radiography. I wanted to know, what is it like working as a radiographer in the NHS?

I recently read an article about bullying in NHS and I was wondering if someone can offer me their perspective?

Also, will I be forced to work extra shifts outside of normal working hours to cover staff shortages? I have children, so I am worried that I may not be able to commit to extra shifts.

Any other relevant information would be great.

Thank you for your help.
Reply 1
Radiography is understaffed everywhere and the expectation is to continually extend services as much as possible. The job is fascinating but the politics can be frustrating and will affect you as soon as you start.

You can't be forced to do anything you're not contracted to do but diagnostics in large hospitals comes with unsociable hours commitments. These can be avoided if you work in a smaller community site or a tertiary centre.

EDIT: I've just seen you've mentioned bullying specifically. Every department is different, I know of some really horrible places to work. Luckily if you study in the area you plan on working in when you qualify, you will quickly discover which departments to avoid. While all NHS trusts should have policies to deal with bullying, in the real world it can be daunting, especially when you are new.
(edited 4 years ago)
Reply 2
Hi,

Thanks for getting back to me. Would you recommend working as a radiographer? I am really worried about the bullying and the political side of the job. I'm not really inclined towards the political side of the work place.

Original post by FXX
Radiography is understaffed everywhere and the expectation is to continually extend services as much as possible. The job is fascinating but the politics can be frustrating and will affect you as soon as you start.

You can't be forced to do anything you're not contracted to do but diagnostics in large hospitals comes with unsociable hours commitments. These can be avoided if you work in a smaller community site or a tertiary centre.

EDIT: I've just seen you've mentioned bullying specifically. Every department is different, I know of some really horrible places to work. Luckily if you study in the area you plan on working in when you qualify, you will quickly discover which departments to avoid. While all NHS trusts should have policies to deal with bullying, in the real world it can be daunting, especially when you are new.
Reply 3
Original post by MaliSilver
Hi,

Thanks for getting back to me. Would you recommend working as a radiographer? I am really worried about the bullying and the political side of the job. I'm not really inclined towards the political side of the work place.


I love working as a radiographer, but accept that it isn't for everyone and even those that do love it, have to find their own place the in profession to be happy for the longer term. It's the kind of job you'll get burned out in no time if you aren't in the right place. There are lots of routes to take and you learn more about them as a student, and in your first year of working post qualification. Ultimately this is why most unis insist on work experience, to see if you can picture yourself working in that environment in a few years time. It's imperative you get decent, wide-ranging experience so you can make an informed decision about it. I think most people do the experience because it's required of them and don't think hard enough about whether or not it's right for them - it may be on paper but the real world is quite different (as it is with most things!).

The job is fascinating, you never know everything, it's a continuous learning process. You are at the centre of diagnostic services and there aren't many more secure jobs out there, so you're never worried about that. And in the short time you're with patients you can make a big difference to their experience, if you are good at your job.

The political side of things is generally aligned to what central government wants to do. There's no escaping it completely. 24hr radiology services are essential to DGHs so any change in strategies will naturally affect radiology, which may impact on what's expected on you in terms of shifts etc. But the smaller hospitals and private hospitals and clinics are hardly few and far between, and offer easier workloads, less demand on unsocial hours and better training opportunities. The teams tend to be smaller with fewer managers between the department and board level which means less politics, so if that's what you're after, you can get it, but you need to be more selective about where you want to work.

Again the bullying issue can be avoided by training local to where you want to work. Radiography is a very small world, and word spreads quickly when things aren't going well in a nearby department. As a student your peers will feed back on their experiences on placement sites, for example. It will be possible to avoid the worst places as you can choose where you want to work. Everywhere is crying out for more staff but can't recruit them.

I hope that's of some use. It's difficult when someones asks "would you recommend working as a radiographer?" because I'm naturally going to say yes, because I think it's brilliant, but it isn't without its flaws and, if you just consider x-ray, there are lot of people who wouldn't fancy banging out x-rays all day for a living (I can't stand it now, but that's why I moved on to other areas!)
It’s got good job prospects after uni and it’s a pretty stable job since you’re always needed. I just recently finished the degree and working in the NHS. Personally, I don’t enjoy it at all but I realised this early on the course but couldn’t drop out. Literally just giving myself maximum of 1 year working in the NHS then changing careers. As a mature student you might have a better idea of what you want to do as I kind of fell onto this degree straight from school and had no real career guidance.

Best of luck
Reply 5
Thank you for sharing. Can I ask why you don't like it please?
Original post by Hopefuls
It’s got good job prospects after uni and it’s a pretty stable job since you’re always needed. I just recently finished the degree and working in the NHS. Personally, I don’t enjoy it at all but I realised this early on the course but couldn’t drop out. Literally just giving myself maximum of 1 year working in the NHS then changing careers. As a mature student you might have a better idea of what you want to do as I kind of fell onto this degree straight from school and had no real career guidance.

Best of luck
Reply 6
Thank you for taking the time to reply back :smile:
Original post by FXX
I love working as a radiographer, but accept that it isn't for everyone and even those that do love it, have to find their own place the in profession to be happy for the longer term. It's the kind of job you'll get burned out in no time if you aren't in the right place. There are lots of routes to take and you learn more about them as a student, and in your first year of working post qualification. Ultimately this is why most unis insist on work experience, to see if you can picture yourself working in that environment in a few years time. It's imperative you get decent, wide-ranging experience so you can make an informed decision about it. I think most people do the experience because it's required of them and don't think hard enough about whether or not it's right for them - it may be on paper but the real world is quite different (as it is with most things!).

The job is fascinating, you never know everything, it's a continuous learning process. You are at the centre of diagnostic services and there aren't many more secure jobs out there, so you're never worried about that. And in the short time you're with patients you can make a big difference to their experience, if you are good at your job.

The political side of things is generally aligned to what central government wants to do. There's no escaping it completely. 24hr radiology services are essential to DGHs so any change in strategies will naturally affect radiology, which may impact on what's expected on you in terms of shifts etc. But the smaller hospitals and private hospitals and clinics are hardly few and far between, and offer easier workloads, less demand on unsocial hours and better training opportunities. The teams tend to be smaller with fewer managers between the department and board level which means less politics, so if that's what you're after, you can get it, but you need to be more selective about where you want to work.

Again the bullying issue can be avoided by training local to where you want to work. Radiography is a very small world, and word spreads quickly when things aren't going well in a nearby department. As a student your peers will feed back on their experiences on placement sites, for example. It will be possible to avoid the worst places as you can choose where you want to work. Everywhere is crying out for more staff but can't recruit them.

I hope that's of some use. It's difficult when someones asks "would you recommend working as a radiographer?" because I'm naturally going to say yes, because I think it's brilliant, but it isn't without its flaws and, if you just consider x-ray, there are lot of people who wouldn't fancy banging out x-rays all day for a living (I can't stand it now, but that's why I moved on to other areas!)
Are you looking into Therapeutic or Diagnostic Radiography as they are very different but work to the same principles?

I am studying as a mature postgraduate radiographer after working for the NHS for three years and three women on my 2-year fast-track course are raising multiple children of all ages. Therapeutic radiographers work standard Monday-Friday hours and there will always be a risk of working a tiny bit late if you have had a delay on a machine. Rotas are done for bank holidays and Christmas and normally higher pay is given. Machines are also given super-late shifts and extended operating hours but you still work your designated hours (eg: 08:00-17:00 -early shift, 10:30-18:30 - late shift, 13:00-21:00 - super-late shift when required). This is dependent on your department again.

However, there are normally options for flexible working depending on where you are. In terms of staff issues, wherever you work there will be someone who will not play ball but in sectors such as radiography, you are there for vulnerable patients and staff should come together for that purpose. It is so highly dependant on where you work so please don't let an article discourage you from an entire profession which is practised globally. I have nothing but respect for any radiographer (diagnostic or therapeutic) if they are in the role for the sake of the patients (and job satisfaction).
Reply 8
Hi - Thank you so much for replying. I was thinking of doing Diagnostic radiography.

What is that like where you work?

Thank you!


Original post by RadTherapy
Are you looking into Therapeutic or Diagnostic Radiography as they are very different but work to the same principles?

I am studying as a mature postgraduate radiographer after working for the NHS for three years and three women on my 2-year fast-track course are raising multiple children of all ages. Therapeutic radiographers work standard Monday-Friday hours and there will always be a risk of working a tiny bit late if you have had a delay on a machine. Rotas are done for bank holidays and Christmas and normally higher pay is given. Machines are also given super-late shifts and extended operating hours but you still work your designated hours (eg: 08:00-17:00 -early shift, 10:30-18:30 - late shift, 13:00-21:00 - super-late shift when required). This is dependent on your department again.

However, there are normally options for flexible working depending on where you are. In terms of staff issues, wherever you work there will be someone who will not play ball but in sectors such as radiography, you are there for vulnerable patients and staff should come together for that purpose. It is so highly dependant on where you work so please don't let an article discourage you from an entire profession which is practised globally. I have nothing but respect for any radiographer (diagnostic or therapeutic) if they are in the role for the sake of the patients (and job satisfaction).
No problem, I'm not sure sorry as I don't have much contact with diagnostics because we also perform CT scans, planar kv and Mv images and conebeam CT so we have a slight cross over as well as the therapeutic aspect.

I'd definitely contact a hosital or university and see for yourself in a clinical environment, it's the only way to get a realistic idea. :smile:
Original post by MaliSilver
Hi - Thank you so much for replying. I was thinking of doing Diagnostic radiography.

What is that like where you work?

Thank you!
Reply 10
Hi everyone, this post is very informative, i am going to be studying diagnostic radiography in september, i did the work experience for a day and went around all the departments and i had a brilliant day, all the staff were lovely and really took time to engage with me, despite the fact i'm not even a student yet. I will be a mature student at the age of 33 so its a career change for me. I am very interested in mri and hopong to specialise in that eventually, although my mind may change as i go through the course.
The sad thing is, regarding the bullying, it isn't just the nhs, it is everywhere in all walks of life. I am a pretty sensitive person and hate this kind of thing, but you cant let the worry of it put you off doing what you want to do. There are always going to be people out there who are just plain horrible people, sometimes i take tnings too personally and to heart and that is something i have to work on, but you will encounter these people in any job you do, i think its just you hear about it more in articles for things like the nhs as they are always in the media because its relevant to everyone isnt it. Point it, don't let it hold you back!

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