Perceptions of radiographers regarding professional development in clinical practice in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Introduction: Professional development is a concept inclusive of all learning such as postgraduate qualifications, staff development, and reflective practice, pursued for the betterment of radiographers' professional expertise. Professional development is associated with professional capabilities and quality service delivery to the patient, and this understanding of professional development applies to the radiography profession. The study aimed to explore and describe the perceptions of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) radiographers regarding the role of professional development in clinical practice. Methods: The study followed a qualitative exploratory-descriptive design, whereby the data was collected from 13 radiographers working in rural and urban KZN using one-on-one semi-structured interviews and analysed using Tesch's eight steps of thematic analysis. Results: Three principal themes emerged from the data analysis. The first theme was the radiographers' views of what constitutes professional development. The second theme highlighted radiographers' views of what promotes professional development among professionals and the final theme concerned the radiographers' views of what hinders professional development. Conclusion: South African radiographers experience a range of challenges regarding professional development participation. There is a need to assist radiography managers to facilitate the professional development of their staff; to develop a culture of professional development among their staff; to recognise and reward radiographers for participating in professional development and to provide relevant and effective professional development opportunities for radiographers. (c) 2024 The College of Radiographers. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.