“In the Eye of the Storm”—Radiographers' Experience of Working With SARS Covid-19 Patients

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the spread of Covid-19 a pandemic. An overloaded sampling system was not sufficient, while radiography examinations proved to be reliable in the diagnosis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Radiographers are front line workers whose work has contributed to the fight against Covid-19. The aim of the study is to interview and describe radiographers' experiences in caring for SARS-CoV-2 patients. This is a qualitative interview study with ten radiographers, in which both men and women participated, with various backgrounds in radiography positions. The interview study was conducted with the help of open-ended questions and a predetermined interview guide with carefully evaluated questions that allow the interviewee to speak freely about the research topic. The text obtained from the interviews was analyzed according to the model for content analysis. The results of the analyzed material from the interviews resulted in four main categories: surprise, fear, new guidelines, and the front line. The interviewees have raised the coronavirus pandemic as a challenge that has involved new ways of thinking and working. Radiographers are among the thousands of health-care workers who are at the forefront against the coronavirus pandemic. The work of radiographers is imperative in the diagnosis of patients with symptoms related to SARS-CoV-2. Radiography examinations are fundamental in the continuing care chain for Covid-19 patients.