More than 60% of students feel they have been subjected to bullying whilst on clinical placement, according to new research by the Society of Radiographers.
63.8% of respondents also said they had witnessed another student being subjected to bullying and harassment whilst on their placement, whilst two thirds had been absent from work on at least one occasion owing to poor clinical placement experience.
The data comes from a survey of 500 student members of the Society.
A full breakdown of the data can be found in the SoR Document Library.
Respondents anonymously shared some of the shocking incidents they had experienced on placement, including:
- Being on placement in a hospital where I have been in the minority race caused a lot of issues. The superintendent was abusive and unrealistic with the way she treated me and my colleague because we were in the minority.
- The behaviour of the bully made me extremely depressed to the extent that I feel I am not worth of anything. Other student members and clinical staff also expressed the same feeling but no one has ever tried to challenge the perpetrator as it is widely tolerated within the department.
- XXXX hospital was the worst 8 weeks I have ever experienced!
- My course finished in 2012, I did not become a professional radiographer due to back problems and the bullying issue, which was so severe, and it was practically unbelievable.
- These incidents happen on a regular basis and leave me feeling embarrassed and upset. As a student it is hard to fight back and change what is happening.
Lyn West-Wigley, Health and Safety Officer at the Society, said: “The survey doesn’t make pleasant reading and it identifies there is a problem.
“The SoR has a list of recommendations prioritising our next steps and we will continue to engage with universities and clinical placements to work towards eradicating the problem.”
One measure being put into action by the Society is the implementation of a requirement that when a higher education course is subject to re-accreditation, the clinical placement must have at least one practice educator who has attended the practice educator’s scheme and received a formal qualification.