Concept analysis of ‘Facilitating a transformative radiation protection environment’

Introduction: Suboptimal radiation protection evidenced in literature necessitated the development of a theory to optimise radiation protection. To develop a theory, concept analysis of the central concept guiding the theory is required to provide explicit theoretical and operational definitions. This article presents the concept analysis of the central concept of ‘facilitating a transformative radiation protection environment’ used to develop a theory to optimise radiation protection. Methods: The study used Walker and Avant's concept analysis process of selecting a concept, determining the aims and purpose of analysis, identifying all uses of the concept, and determining the defining attributes by identifying a model case, a borderline case and a contrary case. Results: The central concept was dissected into the individual concepts of facilitating, transformative, radiation, protection, and environment to enhance the definition and conceptual meaning of the central concept. The essential and related attributes of the individual concepts informed the summative definition of the central concept, and a model, borderline and contrary case contributed to the conceptual meaning. Conclusion: The summative definition of the central concept of “facilitating a transformative radiation protection environment” was determined to be through the essential attributes of help, process, change, X-rays, keeping safe considering the benefits versus risks of ionising radiation exposure and the total internal, external context within which persons exist and the related attributes. Implications for practice: Explored extensively in nursing literature, concept analyses in radiography are limited. Therefore, this article articulates the process of concept analysis and its use in radiography. Concept analysis provides a systematic process to analyse concepts often assumed to be understood, highlighting its importance in radiography literature and to educational praxis.