Assessment of C-arm Confidence Among ASRT Graduate Bridge Program Members

Purpose To identify the amount of C-arm preparation or instruction that recent graduates received in their radiography programs before starting clinical rotations and to determine whether completing more rotations increased their confidence in operating C-arm equipment. Methods Members of the American Society of Radiologic Technologists’ Graduate Bridge program who indicated a primary pathway in radiography received an invitation to complete the C-arm confidence survey and self-report their C-arm experiences during clinical education. Results A third of the participants indicated they received preparation or instruction on C-arm equipment before beginning clinical rotations, with the majority of those indicating they had completed a C-arm laboratory. Almost half of the participants indicated that they were assigned to a minimum of 4 surgical rotations during their radiography program; nearly two-thirds indicated that they were not assigned additional clinical experience with C-arm equipment beyond those rotations. Discussion Participants who completed 4 or more surgical rotations during their radiography clinical education reported significantly higher confidence levels regarding operating C-arm equipment compared with those participants who completed 3 surgical rotations (P =.005), 2 surgical rotations (P <.001), or 1 surgical rotation (P <.001). Those participants who completed more C-arm rotations reported significantly higher confidence in operating C-arm equipment than did those who completed only surgical rotations (P <.01). A Pearson correlation coefficient also revealed a significant positive relationship between participants’ confidence levels after completing surgical and other C-arm rotations (P <.01). Participants’ confidence levels increased after completing surgical rotations and other C-arm rotations such as in pain management and interventional radiography. Conclusion Program directors, clinical coordinators, and radiography educators should consider implementing specific instruction on C-arm use and assigning students to more clinical rotations to increase students’ confidence in their C-arm skills.