The burnout crisis: Insights from U.S. radiologic science educators

Background Radiologic science educators may be uniquely affected by burnout due to their dual academic-clinical workload. Radiologic science educators experience overlapping educational and healthcare responsibilities, and on top of this, administrative duties are increasing. This rising workload, combined with a wide range of expectations, may contribute to high levels of burnout in this professional group, which will be investigated in this study. Methods A cross-sectional survey using the Maslach Burnout Toolkit for Educators was distributed via convenience sampling to U.S. radiologic science educators (sonography, radiation therapy, radiography, nuclear medicine, and cardiovascular interventional science). Inclusion criteria for participants were ASRT members who have self-identified as an educator in their profile. Of 360 invited, 265 completed the survey (73.6%). The Maslach Burnout Toolkit is a 50-question quantitative survey comprising the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the Areas of Worklife Survey. Results Aggregated MBI-ES scores indicated high emotional exhaustion (37.41), moderately high depersonalization (12.09), and high personal accomplishment (43.60). When compared to national educator norms, radiologic science educators reported higher levels of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Large effect sizes were seen across burnout dimensions ( d = 0.79–2.00), and burnout demonstrated a strong inverse association with work-life balance domains based on bivariate analysis. Notably, 67% reported moderate to very great clinical responsibilities, and 55.91% reported changes to pedagogy since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion Radiologic science educators reported a moderately high overall degree of burnout, driven primarily by elevated emotional exhaustion and depersonalization relative to national norms. Findings suggest potential contributions from clinical education duties, accreditation/assessment demands, and post-pandemic pedagogical and technological pressures. Early interventions at both the individual and organizational levels are necessary to alleviate the development of burnout.