Radiation Therapist, Austria
Austria currently faces the European challenge of the baby boomer generation entering retirement and an aging population presenting with more cancer cases. While there has been notable progress in the long-term survival rates for cancer patients, particularly those in palliative care, this has placed a growing burden on cancer care services. This heightened demand is for example evident in the greater number of patients requiring radiation therapy at various stages of their cancer treatment, including repeated radiotherapy treatments for oligo-metastasis cases.
A study published in 2019 [1] concluded that by 2030 Austria would need at least 41.500 nursing practitioners to fill the gap caused by professionals retiring and another 31.400 for additional needs, hence a total of 72.900 nursing practitioners. Another study published in 2020 [2] concluded that Austria could need up to 2.900 additional radiographers by 2030 while current education programmes could only provide about 1.800 newly trained radiographers.
Educational institutions are competing to attract the limited pool of available students and guide them towards various healthcare professions. Addressing a significant shortage of nursing practitioners, initiatives have been launched to encourage individuals to enter nursing practice. However, the increased attention and reward systems to ensure an adequate supply of nurse practitioners have inadvertently made it more challenging for other healthcare professions to attract enough students. The field of radiation therapy, in particular, faces unique challenges due to the comprehensive education requirements, encompassing radiography, nuclear medicine, and radiation therapy.
When compared to other specializations, radiation therapy carries a higher psychological burden as it primarily involves working directly with cancer patients. Furthermore, radiation therapy in Austria is predominantly within the public sector, while specialties like radiography, with a significant private sector presence, can often offer higher wages to their staff.
Efforts are underway to establish career structures aimed at increasing job satisfaction and reducing employee turnover rates. Nevertheless, a substantial portion of radiation therapists find themselves in basic roles with limited autonomy to shape their work environment and workflows. Additionally, the number of linear accelerators in Austria places considerable demand on efficient workflows to ensure sufficient patient capacity. Consequently, working as a radiation therapist requires a higher level of resilience, often without the commensurate financial compensation, which weakens its competitive position in attracting staff.
[1] Rappold, Elisabeth; Juraszovich, Brigitte (2019): Pflegepersonal-Bedarfsprognose für Österreich. Bundesministerium für Arbeit, Soziales, Gesundheit und Konsumentenschutz, Wien
[2] Rappold, Elisabeth; Mathis-Edenhofer, Stefan (2020): MTD‐Personalprognose für Österreich bis 2030. Gesundheit Österreich.
