title: Nurses', physicians' and radiographers' perceptions of the safety of a nurse prescribing of ionising radiation initiative: A cross-sectional survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A new initiative was introduced in Ireland following legislative changes that allowed nurses with special training to prescribe ionising radiation (X-ray) for the first time. A small number of studies on nurse prescribing of ionising radiation in other contexts have found it to be broadly as safe as ionising radiation prescribing by physicians. Sociological literature on perceptions of safety indicates that these tend to be shaped by the ideological position of the professional rather than based on objective evidence.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe, compare and analyse perceptions of the safety of a nurse prescribing of ionising radiation initiative across three occupational groups: nursing, radiography and medicine.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey design.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were drawn from a range of clinical settings in Ireland.
  
  
  METHODS
  Respondents were 167 health professionals comprised of 49 nurses, 91 radiographers, and 27 physicians out of a total of 300 who were invited to participate. Non-probability sampling was employed and the survey was targeted specifically at health professionals with a specific interest in, or involvement with, the development of the nurse prescribing of ionising radiation initiative in Ireland.
  
  
  METHODS
  Comparisons of perspectives on the safety of nurse prescribing of ionising radiation across the three occupational groups captured by questionnaire were analysed using the Kruskal-Wallis H test. Pairwise post hoc tests were conducted using the Mann-Whitney U test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  While the majority of respondents from all three groups perceived nurse prescribing of ionising radiation to be safe, the extent to which this view was held varied. A higher proportion of nurses was found to display confidence in the safety of nurse prescribing of ionising radiation compared to physicians and radiographers with differences between nurses' perceptions and those of the other two groups being statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  That an occupational patterning emerged suggests that perceptions about safety and risk of nurse prescribing of ionising radiation are socially constructed according to the vantage point of the professional and may not reflect objective measures of safety. These findings need to be considered more broadly in the context of ideological barriers to expanding the role of nurses.
authors.affiliation: UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems, University College Dublin, Ireland. Electronic address: abbey.hyde@ucd.ie.
authors.forename: Abbey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hyde
authors.affiliation: UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems, University College Dublin, Ireland. Electronic address: barbara.coughlan@ucd.ie.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Coughlan
authors.affiliation: Florence Nightingale School, King's College, James Clerk Maxwell Building, Waterloo, United Kingdom. Electronic address: corina.naughton@kcl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Corina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Naughton
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Midwifery, University College Cork, Ireland. Electronic address: J.Hegarty@ucc.ie.
authors.forename: Josephine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hegarty
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Midwifery, University College Cork, Ireland. Electronic address: e.savage@ucc.ie.
authors.forename: Eileen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Savage
authors.affiliation: UCD School of Medicine and Medical Science, University College Dublin, Ireland. Electronic address: Jennifer.grehan@ucd.ie.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grehan
authors.affiliation: UCD School of Medicine and Medical Science, University College Dublin, Ireland. Electronic address: eoin.kavanagh@ucd.ie.
authors.forename: Eoin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kavanagh
authors.affiliation: Mater Misercordiae University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. Electronic address: amoughty@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moughty
authors.affiliation: University of Southampton, United Kingdom. Electronic address: J.Drennan@soton.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Drennan
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000523:psychology*; D061214:Patient Safety; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D057184:Practice Patterns, Nurses'; D011839:Radiation, Ionizing; D000072177:Radiologists / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Expanded role; Ionising radiation; Ireland; Medicine; Nurse prescribing; Patient safety; Professions