Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE RAD1112

 
TITLE Radiography Practice

 
UM LEVEL 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course

 
MQF LEVEL 5

 
ECTS CREDITS 6

 
DEPARTMENT Radiography

 
DESCRIPTION This study-unit introduces students to various subject areas and develop their skills in areas that are essential to radiography practice. The areas covered in this study-unit include the following:

• Patient care in medical imaging, radiotherapy and oncology
• Communication skills
• Ethics
• Counselling
• Behavioural Studies:
    - Management of treatment reactions in radiotherapy;
    - Preventive Healthcare, Health Screening and Health Promotion;
    - Occupational health and safety for healthcare professionals; and
    - Image quality outcomes and performance indicators.

This study-unit also combines theory with practice in caring, communicating and counselling patients. This study-unit is meant to introduce the radiography student to important psychological and ethical aspects that are relevant to the health profession. In order to achieve the aims and develop the required skills, students are required to undertake clinical experience in a general and oncology hospital/s and screening unit.

In order to achieve the aims and develop the required skills, students are required to undertake clinical experience in a ward setting.

Study-unit Aims:

1. To enable the students to become caring individuals who treat their patients holistically while offering them understanding, respect and support;
2. To give the student an insight of the difficulties and problems in the delivery of patient care;
3. To enable the student radiographer to understand the value of cooperating and communicating with other health carers in the effective delivery of health care;
4. To provide practical experience of helping sick people cope with their physical and psychological needs;
5. To give them an understanding of the holistic approach to health care;
6. To provide students with an understanding of ethical principles and issues related to radiography;
7. Provide students with an introduction to cancer management in radiotherapy in order to give the students an understanding of the skills they will require within the clinical setting;
8. Provide the students with the knowledge regarding preventive healthcare screening and health promotion;
9. Provide the students with knowledge on Image quality outcomes and performance indicators;
10. Provide the students with the knowledge and understanding of occupational health and safety for healthcare professionals; and
11. Help students understand end of life and death and dying.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

1. Recognise the role of the radiographer within the health care team in the delivery of patient care;
2. Participate in the delivery of care in the imaging or therapeutic department and ward situations;
3. Illustrate how to work as a valued member of the multidisciplinary health care team;
4. Identify and explain the principles of infections control including maintenance of general hygiene;
5. Effectively communicate and counsel patients;
6. Effectively communicate and cooperate with other members of the health care team.
7. Discuss ethical principles and issues related to radiography;
8. Identify and explain common treatment reactions in radiotherapy;
9. Discuss the effectiveness of preventive healthcare, health screening and health promotion;
10. Describe Image quality outcomes and performance indicators;
11. Identify occupational health and safety principles in the clinical setting; and
12. Understand death and dying patients.

2. Skills
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

1. Demonstrate different aspects of patient care in practice;
2. Monitor patient parameters: temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure and identify significant deviations from normal and report this to qualified staff;
3. Communicate effectively with patients and their relatives;
4. Choose to council patients and /or relatives and refer to appropriate health care professionals where required;
5. Attend to the needs of the patient suffering from nausea, vomiting and other side effects of the treatment being given;
6. Identify important factors which contribute towards good team work in the care setting;
7. Practice within ethical and professional boundaries;
8. Identify important factors which contribute towards good team work in the care setting;
9. Attend to the needs of patients undergoing radiotherapy treatment and offer the highest standard or care both physical and psychological respects at all stages of the radiotherapy process; and
10. Identify Image quality outcomes and performance indicators.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

- Ball, JL, & Price T, (2010) Chesney’s Radiographic Imaging (6th ed.), Wiley-Blackwell.
- Ballinger PW & Frank ED, (2003) Merrill's Atlas of Radiographic Positions & Radiologic Procedures, 3-Volume Set, Mosby 10th Edition.
- Carlton, R & Adler A, (2005), Principles of Radiographic Imaging: An Art and a Science, Delmar Publication.
- Cullinan A & Cullinan J, (1994), Producing Quality Radiographs, 2nd Edition Lippincott.
- Ehrlich, RA & Daly, JA (2008) Patient Care in Radiography: With an Introduction to Medical Imaging (7th ed.), Mosby.
- Grainger & Allison's Diagnostic Radiology: Expert Consult: Online and Print (2 Vol Set) (2007) Churchill Livingstone 5th edition.
- Corey, G., Schneider Corey, M. (2008) I Never Knew I Had A Choice: Explorations in Personal Growth. 9th Edition. Brooks/Cole Publishing Company.
- Albom M. (2002) Tuesdays with Morrie; an old man, a young man, and life's greatest lesson, Broadway.
- Burnard P. (2002) Learning human skills 4th Edition UK: Butterworth Heinemann.
- Frankl V. (2006) Man's search for meaning, Beacon Press, 1st Edition.
- Harris A. T. (2004) I'm Ok- you're Ok, Harper Paperbacks.
- Johnson D.W. (2008) Reaching out - interpersonal effectiveness and self actualization 10th Edition. USA: Allyn and Bacon.
- Mearns D.& Thorne B. (2007) Person-centred counselling In Action, London: Sage Publications, 3rd edition.
- Rogers C. (2004) On becoming a person. London; Constable.
- Satir V. (2008) Peoplemaking. RBA EDITORES.
- Towsley-Cook DM, (2007) Ethical and Legal Issues for Imaging Professionals.
- Yalom, I. (2011) When Nietzsche wept. Harper Perennial Modern Classics; Reprint edition.
- Relevant EU Directives and National Legislation.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture, Independent Study, Placement & Tutorial

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Reflective Diary SEM2 Yes 20%
Examination (2 Hours) SEM2 Yes 80%

 
LECTURER/S Noel Abela
Kezia Aquilina
Paul Bezzina
Paulann Grech
Danika Maria Marmara
Deborah Mizzi (Co-ord.)
Vincent Saliba
Gerbert Van Dijk
Bernice Zarb

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

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