Teaching Safe Patient Handling Skills Using a Peer Approach.

PURPOSE: To elicit radiologic technology students' perceptions of a peer-teaching activity, to determine whether students gained safe patient handling skills from the activity, and to ascertain whether they used these skills during their first clinical placement. METHODS: Authors designed a peer-teaching activity whereby fourth-year physical therapy students taught first-year radiologic technology students safe patient handling skills. After completing the activity and the first clinical placement in a medical imaging or radiation therapy facility, 73 radiologic technology students were invited to complete an anonymous online survey about their experience with these activities. RESULTS: The survey response rate was 46.6%. All 34 participants reported a positive experience and 33 recommended it for future cohorts. The median number of skills radiologic technology students reported they gained from the activity was 6, while the median number of skills students reported using during clinical placement was 2.5. DISCUSSION: This peer-teaching activity involving radiologic technology and physical therapy students focused on practical, safe patient handling education. Positive feedback from radiologic technology students about the activities might have stemmed, in part, from the high teacher-to-student ratio, which afforded the radiologic technology students personal instruction. The radiologic technology students commented on the merit of hands-on experience, and they learned the importance of giving patients clear directions and standing close enough to patients to help them move and transfer safely. CONCLUSION: The teaching activity focused on practical skills but also appears to have facilitated the development of professional behaviors and reflection on practice. Future research is required to determine why some students did not practice the skills during clinical placement.

Radiation therapy staffing model 2014.

INTRODUCTION: In 2001, the Radiation Therapy Advisory Panel (RTAP) of the Australian Society of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy (ASMIRT) (formerly known as Australian Institute of Radiography) published a model for radiation therapist staffing in Australian radiation oncology departments. Between 2012-2013, the model was reviewed to ensure it reflected current radiation therapy practice, technology, and to facilitate forward planning of the radiation therapy workforce. METHOD: Twenty-four sites from all states participated and provided data on megavoltage simulation, planning and treatment delivery. For simulation and planning activity, the length of time to complete was collected against relevant Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) items. For treatment delivery, time to complete activities was collected against a common set of activities. Modelling assumptions are clearly identified in the methodology. RESULTS: A new model was developed retaining the essential model parameter of full-time equivalent (FTE) radiation therapists (RTs) per linear accelerator operating hour as in the 2001 model but based on contemporary practice and data. The model also includes significant refinements that improve the model's overall utility and flexibility for both workforce planning purposes and for individual services to use the model according to their own organisational needs and service delivery profiles. CONCLUSION: The ASMIRT believes that the 2014 RT staffing model provides the utility and flexibility for radiation oncology services to best plan RT staffing establishments according to their needs and reflecting the diversity between services and within the sector. It should also provide a robust and valid basis for governments and service planners to use as a guide in workforce planning into the future.