Section headings (in this order): Introduction, Compassionate Care, Communication, Competence, Commitment, Confidentiality, Conduct, Conclusion.
Link each section to make the essay flow. Use the following suggestions:
Compassionate Care: LINK – compassionate care requires effective communication.
Communication: LINK – As experience of effective communication grows, student competence grows.
Competence: LINK – Competence requires academic learning, so 100% commitment from the student to attend lectures as well as clinical placement.
Commitment: LINK -Student enthusiasm (in their commitment to learning) may be at odds with patient confidentiality rules, as the desire to share experiences forms part of the learning experience.
Confidentiality: LINK – Important to respect patient confidentiality: social media posts breaches code of conduct.
Further guidance for the essay:
Further to feedback provided on draft work, the information below is a summary of some of the key considerations for your work divided in to topic areas:
Communication
Consider the benefits of good communication – think about the patient experience, how the diagnostic environment is very anxiety inducing for patients often and how effective communication can influence their experience. What are the benefits of good communication and how does it influences the patient experience.
Think about communication in general and that there needs to be effective verbal and non-verbal communication for patient care to be effective. How can the student develop these skills, what challenges might they face? How might these qualities have a very different importance for radiography students compared to many other students
Consider the importance of think about building a rapport with a patient and the impact that has on their experience. Why does the rapport we build with patients have to be formed quickly in radiography? Think about how little time we often have with patients due to the nature of the examination and therefore how much more important it is to communicate well compared to those who may have much longer to build such a rapport.
This can lead you nicely to discussing how learning essential communication skills is vitally important for radiography students and therefore attendance at both clinical placement (where there is the opportunity to observe and practice patient interactions under supervision) as well as attendance at lectures to learn the underpinning theory is paramount
Think also about the difficulty and challenges of learning new medical terms and being expected to use these academically, in assessments and when dealing with other healthcare professional, but then also having the skills to put this into a language suitable for most patients to understand. Also are students often task focussed so communication is not optimum?, how does good communication influence the student patient and student mentor relationship etc etc. . Does communication and subsequent patient and mentor engagement improve as competence and confidence grows – discussions such as this could prove effective transitions between topics, especially with respect to competency and how the student mentor relationship can influence that. .
Consider interdisciplinary communication and how it is essential in order to provide effective and appropriate care. What does this mean for you as a student? – you can link this to terminology and the need for confidence and the use of appropriate terminology when speaking with other staff, but the additional ability to put this into understandable plain language for a variety of patients. You can then discuss how you will achieve it – again, this can led you nicely to discussing either conduct or commitment and attendance and engagement etc
Confidentiality
Provide background information on who exactly should have access to the patient data – i.e anyone directly involved in the care of the patient, therefore there is a dilemma for both mentors and students regarding confidentiality – think of the learning opportunities when sharing cases or enabling discussion of them, how might it be detrimental to the students learning and subsequent competencies if cases are not shared (especially the more rarely seen cases) how are students expected to learn? So for students and staff mentors isn’t there a bit of a dilemma? Essentially any information regarding a patient, clinical history, images etc should only be shared with those directly involved in their treatment, however for teaching and learning we often share cases, especially more rarely occurring ones, so that students can learn. Think about this and what it means. Does it mean also that often you are not able to discuss exciting things you might have seen or done on your course with anyone etc. – what would be the consequence of this?
This is especially important to students that are enthusiastic about their learning and wish to talk about their experiences with peers and other staff – consideration etc of how and where that might be undertaken is key – how does this fit with preservation of confidentiality?. This is very important when discussing case studies as many patients are identifiable by the very nature of their condition.
There is an important and key discussion here surrounding confidentiality which can also could form a very effective link either from or to conduct. Similarly students that are enthusiastic about their learning might also wish to discuss what they have seen and done, but is this appropriate in healthcare?
If cases are not shared (especially the more rarely seen cases) how are students expected to learn? Not only is this an important discussion but it could also form a very effective link either from or to conduct or communication, especially if there is a mention of social media and the importance of not posting anything patient related.
Competence
It is expected that there will be some discussion here around standards of proficiency, the rationale for them and their importance as well as the need for students to achieve those standards in order to become registered professionals. This would then prompt some discussion of protected title, the HCPC and how ‘radiographer’ is a protected title. In order to be registered as a radiographer and thereby entitled to use that title, an individual must initially meet but then maintain all of the relevant standards and competencies. Be mindful that the SCoR has nothing to do with protection of the title and competence.
You can then consider how you will achieve the relevant competencies – considerations such as how as a student you have an ever-evolving scope of practice, however, unless you undertake things you are not competent at you will never develop the skills in order to reach the proficiencies as dictated by the HCPC. Therefore practicing under supervision from a qualified member of staff with the necessary skills and competencies enables you to extend this scope without potentially causing harm to patients.
Competence does not just come from clinical placement – that is where you learn the application of knowledge to practice. You must have a good underlying theoretical knowledge in order to be competent – so what does this mean for you as a student? Think about the need to attend lectures and achieve academically as well as clinical placement – if you do not achieve academically how can you expect to have the underlying knowledge to be clinically knowledgeable or proficient?
Think about the need to attend lectures etc – how does this compare with students on non-health related courses. You haven’t looked at all at the need for attendance at lectures etc. What about Uni in general – often for some courses attendances are not mandatory and much work is self-directed, however healthcare students have an obligation to attend both academic and clinical 100% of the time so that they can achieve competency in the relevant skills. This can lead you either from or to discussion on both conduct or commitment. This point could also be focused towards conduct and included in that section in order to provide an effective transition between topics.
If you do not achieve academically how can you expect to have the underlying knowledge to be clinically knowledgeable or proficient? Therefore competence does not just come from clinical placement – that is where you learn the application of knowledge to practice. You must have a good underlying theoretical knowledge in order to be competent – so what does this mean for you as a student?
You can further expand to explain that courses must ensure that learning outcomes are aligned so that graduates can meet all of the required standards of conduct and proficiency required for HCPC registration. This requires significant academic and theoretical learning and then a clinical requirement to enable application of theory to clinical practice. This results in an extremely full schedule when compared with many other university courses.
Conduct
Ensure you understand the difference between standards and guidance and what the HCPC (our governing body) and the SCoR (our professional body) provide. Why do you have student guidance but qualified radiographers have standards. Look back at your professionalism information as this will significant inform your discussion around conduct and competence
Think about why standards and student guidance are there. Think about behaviour both in and out of the academic and clinical environment and what that means for the student. Explain why we must uphold such behaviours etc – think about maintenance of confidence in both the profession and the professional.
It is necessary to discuss the standards for the radiographer and to then discuss how those influence you as a student. Do you legally have to abide by standards? If not, why not? Consider including the fact that even though students are not registered with the HCPC they have a moral and ethical obligation to abide by the same standards as qualified professionals and therefore have their own HCPC guidance.
Consider your required engagement and attendance at lectures and clinical placements etc. How might that differ from university in general – often for some courses attendances are not mandatory and much work is self-directed, however radiography students have an obligation to attend both academic and clinical 100% of the time so that they can achieve competency in the relevant skill and proficiencies – this could lead you nicely to discussing competence.
Commitment
Think about the requirement for students to attend 100% of lectures and clinical placement in order to achieve the necessary professional competencies. Student radiographers have a very full academic timetable, unlike many other academic based courses, due to the fact that 50% of the time sis spent on clinical placement for application of theory to practice – What level of commitment does that take when you also then have reading and work to complete at home.
Think about how the schedule might be at odds with the student charter – the charter advocates involving in student life etc too, sports etc. but as a student radiographer is this an option or does the lecture schedule prevent it to a certain degree?. So how might the student manage this? – think about conduct and attendance at lectures etc. You could then have an effective link to or from both competence or conduct
Sectio
