Exploring radiography students’ preparedness and emotional responses to trauma radiography case exposure during clinical placements

INTRODUCTION: Trauma radiography is a core component of emergency departments, requiring radiographers to perform examinations under time pressure while managing patient instability and emotional distress. During clinical placements, undergraduate diagnostic radiography students are exposed to high-acuity environments while still developing technical competence, clinical judgement, and emotional readiness. Although undergraduate programmes provide theoretical preparation in trauma radiography, limited literature exists on how students perceive preparedness and how they experience the emotional demands associated with trauma exposure. This study therefore explored diagnostic radiography students' perceptions of preparedness and emotional responses to trauma radiography exposure during clinical placements. METHODS: A qualitative, exploratory descriptive design was employed. Purposive sampling was used to recruit third- and fourth-year undergraduate diagnostic radiography students at a selected higher education institution in South Africa. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using inductive reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Four themes were constructed from the data. Preparedness for trauma radiography reflected theoretical preparation but limited clinical readiness. Emotional responses to trauma exposure captured experiences of emotional shock, anxiety, and fatigue during trauma imaging. Supervision and support in trauma learning highlighted the role of clinical supervision in confidence development, alongside limited emotional support. Development of clinical competence and professional identity described growth in adaptive technical skills, increasing confidence, and emerging professional responsibility. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights trauma radiography as a complex clinical learning context in which technical development and emotional challenge are closely intertwined. While exposure and supervision contribute to competence and professional identity formation, students often experience emotional strain and variable preparedness during trauma imaging. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Radiography curricula should strengthen trauma radiography preparation through structured clinical support, consistent supervision, and formal emotional debriefing to enhance student preparedness, confidence, and well-being in high-acuity imaging environments.