4 minute read
Interview with Jessie Childs
RESEARCH
Jessie Childs
Research project: What is the impact of COVID-19 on the Australasian sonographic community captured at three time points during the pandemic?
Jessie Childs is no stranger to ASA members. Many sonographers in Australia and New Zealand participated in her research project on how sonographers have been impacted by COVID-19. This research was also recognised globally when the World Health Organisation (WHO) included it on the COVID-19 Global Literature on Coronavirus Disease Database. So, it was no surprise when Jessie received the honour of ASA Researcher of the Year 2022, earlier this year. We interviewed Jessie about her current research project, the challenges she faced, and what she hopes to achieve through her research.
What is your research project about? What methods are you using?
The project was designed to capture the impact of COVID on Australasian sonographers via survey methodology. It was originally intended to capture the initial impact of COVID, the interim impact of COVID 3 months later, and the aftermath of COVID 6 months after that. COVID, however, hung around a little longer than we anticipated, so we ended up adding another survey and capturing the initial impact of COVID, the interim impact 3 months later, the impact of the Delta variant, and then the impact of the Omicron variant combined with a return to the new normal.
The methodology was surveys eliciting both qualitative and quantitative responses. Questions were around changes to work hours and protocol, access to PPE, wellbeing and vaccination.
What prompted you to undertake this research?
When COVID struck we thought it was important to capture its impact on Australasian sonographers to inform future policy and to document the journey of our profession through what was a unique event in history.
Can you explain some initial findings?
There are so many. The initial findings are written into three journal articles published in the Sonography journal. There were many who suffered a reduction in work hours and many protocol changes. PPE access was varied, and the wellbeing of sonographers appeared to suffer.
Your research project is in multiple parts? Why is that?
The project is in multiple parts to capture different time points throughout the pandemic and to document changes over time with respect to the impact the pandemic is having on sonographers.
What has surprised you the most throughout this project?
The amazing number of sonographers who have taken the time to respond to the surveys in what was/is such a tumultuous time. We are extremely thankful to every one of them.
Without pre-empting the results, what are you hoping to achieve?
A really good picture of the effect the pandemic has had on sonographers in terms of impact on work hours, impact on PPE access and safety, impact on wellbeing and changes to department protocols.
What (if any) challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them?
The pandemic continued for longer than we anticipated. We had to make some changes to our initial plan of only three surveys. We also had to face the huge amounts of data generated. The answer was to divide and conquer.
What did you gain from doing the research?
We have and will gain a great understanding of the impact of COVID on Australasian sonographers. Not only an understanding of how individuals were affected but also an understanding of the effects on different states, practice locations (that is, rural, metropolitan), types of practice (big, small, public, private) and different genders.
What advice would you give to a sonographer looking to undertake a research project?
If you are new to the research world, finding a good, experienced mentor would be a fabulous start. Often the best way to do this is to undertake an honour’s or master’s qualification so that you have an experienced supervisory team and access to an ethics committee. Make sure you plan well and trial any instrument (that is, survey) that you are going to use to ensure that the data you are getting answers your research questions.
