Radiography Education

LaVerne Tolley Gurley

Outline

The patient as our guest

The key individual in the health care setting is the patient. This means that we must think of the patient as our guest. Examining this phrase and understanding how the patient is a guest is very important. The patient is the recipient of the many services provided in medical facilities. On admission to the hospital, clinic, or physician’s office, the patient is abruptly introduced to an unusual environment filled with wondrous, unnamed machines and a variety of people, all waiting for the guest—the patient.

When a qualified physician requests a radiographic examination, it becomes the radiologic technologist’s responsibility to:

Essentially, this treatment should be respectful without being familiar, empathetic without being maudlin (tearful, emotional), considerate without being solicitous (fearful, overly concerned), and professional without being cold and clinical.

This all sounds like a tall order, especially when the workload is heavy, the hour grows late, and more things are yet to be done; but you only need to put yourself in the place of the patient to understand the importance of a health care professional’s responsibility (Fig. 6-1).

When caring for the very young or the very old, the terminally ill, or the handicapped, this responsibility may be difficult to handle. These patients do not, however, change the importance of these responsibilities. This responsibility is the basis of being in a helping profession. Above all, every patient who comes to radiology is a guest!

Your responsibilities in health care

No substitute exists for the knowledge necessary to perform the tasks of a radiologic technologist with confidence, effectiveness, and efficiency.

This confidence is a direct result of being prepared. Students are confronted with quizzes, competency tests, and finally, the certifying examination. Yet the greatest tests will come with every radiologic examination you perform. Educators in radiologic technology are aware of the need for well-prepared radiologic technologists.

The field of radiology is continually changing in the wake of technology and has recently accelerated with the space age. However, learning the basic principles of the production of x-radiation and how to make these principles work is imperative for the student radiologic technologist.

What does the radiologic technologist need to know to perform the responsibilities of radiologic technology? To answer this question, you need to look at the course recommendations for approved programs in radiologic technology, as well as the unique goals and needs of the sponsoring institutions and clinical affiliates.

Essentially, the courses listed here are considered basic. The titles and brief descriptions of topics are based on the curriculum guide published by the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT). More complete information is available from ASRT.

From the classroom to the clinical setting

During classroom preparation the student may practice taking radiographs using phantom material. In x-ray imaging phantoms are solid or liquid materials whose x-ray attenuation and scattering properties are similar to those of body tissues. This helps the student to learn proper anatomic positioning and exposure techniques (Fig. 6-4).

After classroom preparation, clinical experience offers the opportunity for the student radiologic technologist to determine whether all things learned about the production of x-rays are true.

However, there is more to the clinical experience than proving that widely held theories are indeed true. Patients with differing health problems are encountered, hundreds of procedures are experienced, and rules of behavior and ethics by which to abide are learned. In the clinical experience situation, students have the opportunity to prove their understanding of the classroom material by competently performing various radiologic procedures (Fig. 6-5).

A basic guideline for evaluating the competency skills of a student radiologic technologist in the clinical setting has been developed and approved by the ASRT and is entitled, Clinical Competency Evaluation. Although other methods of clinical competency evaluation may be available and in use, the information in this document is the focus of our discussion because it has been accepted by ASRT, which is the profession’s official organization.

Clinical competency evaluation

Simply defined, clinical competency evaluation is a method of standardizing the evaluation of a student radiologic technologist’s performance in the clinical setting. The student must fully appreciate and understand the importance of a standard evaluation concept and its methodology. Three specific aspects of learning are provided in this evaluation of performance: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor.

Cognitive learning refers to classroom lectures and demonstrations of theories, as well as to the facts and background information necessary to understand a specific body of knowledge. Once this fundamental information has been learned, the student has the opportunity to participate in the clinical setting where each student has the opportunity to apply the knowledge gained from the classroom setting.

Affective learning involves attitudes, values, and feelings. The clinical environment provides the opportunity to develop pride in your work, as well as feelings of self-worth, skills in interpersonal relationships, and personal, moral, and ethical beliefs for daily practice.

Psychomotor learning is the actual hands-on phase—the application of previously learned material. Didactic information is put to actual use in the clinical situation.

Clinical participation

Clinical participation is the integration of the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor aspects of radiologic technology education. The student participates as follows:

During this time, the student’s learning ability and performance are evaluated. The student now has the opportunity to demonstrate knowledge of the subject material and how well each task can be accomplished.

This evaluation is designed to be a positive experience. It is an opportunity for the student to gain confidence by becoming thoroughly familiar with each detail of the assigned tasks.

As the student makes the transition from a classroom environment to one that combines both classroom and clinical experience, the learning process becomes integrated and more complex. The student is expected to be more aware of the responsibilities in learning. This means he must answer the following questions:

During this phase of radiologic technology education, the student also learns the importance of meeting the objectives of the educational process. Because competency levels vary from individual to individual, these objectives are self-paced. However, a great deal of coordination exists between classroom learning and clinical application. This coordination is facilitated by the program director, as well as the clinical supervisors and coordinators. These individuals plan the course work and clinical participation that provide an optimal learning environment for the student (see Box 6-1).

Continuing education

In 1997, ARRT began requiring continuing education for all ARRT registrants. Each ARRT registrant must obtain either 24 continuing education credits acceptable to ARRT or pass an examination in an additional discipline.

It is imperative that each student consider his or her education in radiologic technology as a continuing process. These courses are an indication of the basic responsibilities of every radiologic technologist. This material must be learned and understood before you can correctly and safely operate the complicated equipment. You need to know not only how the equipment works but also why it works as it does. You must also be able to provide the physician with the best diagnostic radiographic study possible, regardless of the patient’s condition.

Look closely at each task as it is encountered, and study not only the work involved but also the concepts behind the tasks. You should not be surprised to learn that radiologic technology education must be an ongoing process.

Conclusion

Educators in radiologic technology are aware that, for the student radiologic technologist, the transition from classroom to clinic can be not only demanding but also, at times, confusing. In approved programs, every effort is made to ensure that students are better prepared to accept and deal with this transition. In addition, educators work to ensure that each student is evaluated on a fair and objective basis according to acceptable standards and institutional requirements for the completion of the program.

From time to time, changes are made in the current procedures as new ideas and developments occur in radiologic technology. These changes are incorporated into the curriculum to ensure that students are familiar with new concepts and procedures.

No substitute exists for being well-prepared to practice your chosen profession. For the student, this time must be spent preparing for the challenges presented with each radiologic procedure. Each radiologic procedure is, after all, a test of your ability to perform the assigned tasks in an efficient, cheerful, and professional manner.

Bibliography