November: Positive psychology and workplace culture

In Australia, as in other countries, radiation therapists (RTs) can experience job dissatisfaction, stress and burnout which can lead to workforce attrition. This month’s JMRS paper looks at contributing factors to elevated stress, dissatisfaction, turnover and burnout amongst Australian RTs and suggests employment of positive psychology theories to facilitate change. Hunter D, Wright C, Pearson S. Employing positive psychology to improve radiation therapy workplace culture. JMRS. 2019, 66(2); 139-144 THEMES: 1. What contributes to elevated stress, dissatisfaction, staff turnover and burnout in your area of work? 2. Minimizing workplace stress is key to reducing burnout and attrition. What strategies have you seen or used to deal with workplace stress? How effective have these been? 3. According to our paper, to facilitate a workplace culture aligned with positive occupational psychology, leaders should: improve engagement and collaboration appeal to emotional needs reduce job stressors How can leaders practically deliver these aims? 4. What one *realistic* thing would you change in order to improve workplace culture? Check out this month’s blog by first author Darren Hunter here. Additional reading: Halkett GKB, Berg MN, Breen LJ, et al. Sustainability of the Australian radiation oncology workforce: A survey of radiation therapists and radiation oncology medical physicists. Eur J Cancer Care 2018; 27: e12804 Probst H, Griffiths S. Retaining therapy radiographers: What’s so special about us? J Radiother Pract 2007; 6: 21– 32