Course Title: Radiation Therapy Practice 1

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Radiation Therapy Practice 1

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
RADI1136	Bundoora Campus	Undergraduate	160H Medical Sciences	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2015, Sem 1 2016
RADI1136	Bundoora Campus	Undergraduate	160H Medical Sciences	Workplace	Sem 1 2006, Sem 1 2007, Sem 1 2008, Sem 1 2009, Sem 1 2010, Sem 1 2011, Sem 1 2012, Sem 1 2013, Sem 1 2014
RADI1136	Bundoora Campus	Undergraduate	173H School of Health and Biomed	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2017, Sem 1 2018, Sem 1 2019

Course Coordinator: Cathy Jager

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 7973

Course Coordinator Email: cathy.jager@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 201.08.029-1

Course Coordinator Availability: Appointments arranged via email

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

System Enforced Pre-requisites (Enforced by SAMS)

• RADI1134 Radiation Therapy 2 (Course ID 038634)
• ONPS2344 Medical Radiations Physics 2 (Course ID 038595)

Required concurrent study (Co-requisites)

• RADI1219 Radiation Therapy 3A (Course ID 038608)

 

Work Integrated Learning:

Students enrolled in this course will be required to undertake placement as part of the assessment of the course.  A number of requirements must be met by students to ensure eligibility for placement.  Further details on each of these are available in Part B of the Course Guide and on MyRMIT.

• National Police check
• Working with Children Check
• Immunisation Declaration Form
• Hand Hygiene certificate
• First Aid Certificate
• CPR Certificate
• Manual Handing certificate

 

There is no flexibility with these requirements.  It is your responsibility to ensure THESE REQUIREMENTS ARE COMPLETED.  Any student who has not provided this information will not be able to attend placement and will receive a fail grade for the placement course.

 

Course Description

You will learn the basic principles of radiation therapy planning and treatment, including emergency response and radiation safety principles, and the role of the radiation therapist in providing quality patient care.  Additionally, you will undertake practical clinical experience during a clinical placement in a designated Radiation Therapy centre.  

This course also focuses upon the legal and ethical guidelines of the professional practice of Medical Radiations and explores legal implications of practice to practical clinical imaging through the embedded Hospital Law and Ethics Module.

 

Work Integrated Learning:

Students enrolled in this course will be required to undertake placement as part of the assessment of the course.  A number of requirements must be met by students to ensure eligibility for placement. 

Students are responsible for any expenses associated to attending professional placement.  These costs may include, but are not limited to the following: uniform, police check application, first aid training, travel, accommodation and vaccinations.

If you have a long term medical condition and/or disability you should contact the Program Coordinator or the Disability Liaison Unit for further advice. Students need to be able to meet the inherent requirements of the program.

At any time prior to or during your placement if there are concerns raised related to your fitness to practice the clinical coordinator can request that you gain full medical clearance to continue your placement.

Further details on each of these are available on MyRMIT.

 

Placement Agreements:

Placement agreements between RMIT and the placement organisation are in place.  Any information required by students contained in the agreement is available on MyRMIT or InPlace.

 

National Police check:

Students are required to apply for a National Police Record Check in each year that a placement is to be undertaken.  In some cases students may be required to obtain an additional police check during the year where an organisation stipulates a shorter time period for the issue of the police check. 

Where a student has a disclosable outcome recorded on their police check certificate, the Placement Coordinator or WIL Coordinator will make contact with the relevant placement organisation to confirm eligibility to attend the placement.  It is important to note that a disclosable outcome may prevent a student from accessing suitable, or any, professional placement(s) and may therefore be delayed or prevented from satisfactorily progressing through the program.

Students are required to advise the School in a timely manner of any change to their criminal record during the academic year.  In the case of a change, students are required to apply for a new National Police Record Check if placements for that year are still to occur.

 

Working with Children Check:

A current Working with Children Card (WWCC) must be held by the student.  Students are required by law to list RMIT as an organisation with who you will be undertaking child related volunteer work.  Where a student receives a negative notice for their WWCC, the Placement Coordinator or WIL Coordinator will make contact with the relevant placement organisation to confirm eligibility to attend the placement.  A negative notice means you cannot engage in child-related work under any circumstance.  It is important to note that a negative notice may prevent a student from accessing suitable, or any, professional placement(s) and may therefore be delayed or prevented from satisfactorily progressing through the program.

 

Immunisation Declaration form:

Students are required to submit the School’s Immunisation Declaration Form as evidence of vaccinations and immunity.  This form must be completed and signed off by a medical practitioner.

 

Hand Hygiene:

Students are required to provide evidence of completion of a hand hygiene course.

 

First Aid Certificate:

Students are required to provide evidence of completion of a first aid course.  This is valid for three years.

 

CPR Certificate:

Students are required to provide evidence of completion of a CPR course.  This is required to be updated annually.

 

Manual Handling:

Students are required to provide evidence of completion of a Manual Handling course.

 

Thermo-Luminescent Dosimeter (TLD):

Students are required to wear a current TLD at all times during laboratories and in clinical placement.  TLDs are provided by the School.  Students whose TLD is returned late or lost will incur a fine.

 

Uniform:

Students are required to purchase and wear the uniform for Medical Radiations.  The uniform must be worn at all times while on placement.

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

This course contributes to the following Program Learning Outcomes for BP148 Bachelor of Applied Science (Medical Radiations) (aligned to the Accreditation Standards of the Medical Radiations Practice Board of Australia):

Standard 1.1 Professional and ethical conduct

1.1a. Practice in an ethical and professional manner, consistent with relevant legislation and regulatory requirements

1.1b. Provide each patient/client with an appropriate level of dignity and care

1.1c. Under supervision demonstrate the ability to assume responsibility, and accept accountability, for professional decisions

1.1d. Under supervision demonstrate the ability to advocate on behalf of the patient/client, when appropriate within the context of the practitioner’s particular division of registration

Standard 1.2 Communication and collaboration

1.2a. Communicate clearly, sensitively and effectively with patient/client and your family or carers

1.2b. Collaborate with other health professionals

Standard 1.3 Evidence based practice and professional learning

1.3a. Apply critical and reflective thinking to resolve clinical challenges

1.3b. Identify ongoing professional learning needs and opportunities

Standard 1.4 Radiation safety and risk management

1.4a. Implement safe radiation practice appropriate to your division of registration

1.4b. Protect and enhance patient/client safety

1.4c. Confirm and operate equipment and instrumentation safely as appropriate to your division of registration

1.4d. Maintain safety of self and others in the work environment appropriate to your division of registration

1.4e. Safely manage radiation and radioactivity in the environment

Standard 1.5 Practice in medical radiation sciences

1.5a. Apply an understanding of anatomy, physiology and pathology that is appropriate to your division of registration

1.5b. Apply principles of medical radiation physics and instrumentation

1.5c. Use patient information management systems appropriately

1.5d. Confirm the procedure according to clinical indicators

1.5e. Assess patient/client’s capacity to receive care

1.5f. Delivery patient/client care appropriate to your division of registration

1.5g. Manage and manipulate 3D datasets for diagnostic image production

1.5h. Apply knowledge of pharmaceuticals and contrast materials/media relevant to your division of registration

Standard 1.8 Practice in radiation therapy

1.8 1a. Apply knowledge of stabilisation devices related to radiation therapy

1.8 1b. Apply treatment simulation techniques

1.8 1c. Apply knowledge of treatment planning

1.8 1d. Implement computed tomography (CT) imaging for oncologic treatment planning

1.8 1e. Implement treatment techniques according to approved plans

1.8 2a. Explain the principles and clinical applications of ultrasound imaging and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging

1.8 2b. Under supervision demonstrate the ability to alert the appropriate health professional when you observe significant findings of a medically urgent nature

On successful completion of this course you should be able to:

1. Perform and discuss routine radiotherapy planning, simulation/CT and treatment techniques
2. Demonstrate professional behaviours and interpersonal and communications skills required in clinical practice to meet the standard of a student medical radiations practitioner
3. Demonstrate appropriate knowledge and skills in patient care, including psychosocial aspects
4. Demonstrate reflective practice by identifying and reflecting on your role in the team, strengths and development needs and key learning opportunities
5. Explain the legal and ethical implications of the practice of Medical Radiations

Overview of Learning Activities

You will learn through a range of activities that will include participation in problem-based learning activities, self-directed study, development of a reflective learning journal and participation in a 5 week block clinical placement.  This course is supported by RMIT's online Learning Management System (LMS).
 

 

Overview of Learning Resources

You will be expected to make use of RMIT's online Learning Management System (LMS).  This resource provides a range of materials aimed at supporting your learning and you are encouraged to actively use this site and the material it contains.  You are also expected to conduct a significant level of self-directed learning to reinforce learned concepts.  There is the expectation that you will access appropriate peer-reviewed literature via the RMIT library.  The Medical Radiations Subject Guide (URL: http://rmit.libguides.com/medical-radiations) provides useful references.  A detailed course schedule will be available via myRMIT.  Any changes to this schedule due to unforeseen circumstances will be posted on the course LMS.

Overview of Assessment

All hurdle requirements for this course are indicated clearly in the assessment regime that follows, against the relevant assessment task(s) and all have been approved by the College Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning & Teaching).

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task 1: Clinical Placement

Weighting 0% (Hurdle Requirement)

This assessment task supports CLOs 1, 2 & 3

You are required to demonstrate clinical skill and patient safety congruent to the level of a Year Two undergraduate medical radiations student practitioner. If you are deemed unsatisfactory at the interim assessment, remedial action using an at-risk learning contract will be undertaken before being allowed to continue the placement. If you are deemed unsatisfactory at the final assessment you will then be required to undertake a simulation assessment. If your performance in the simulation assessment demonstrates an unsatisfactory/unsafe level of practice you receive a NH fail grade for this course and be required to re-enrol in the course in the following year. If your performance in the simulation assessment demonstrates a satisfactory level and safe practice you will be offered an additional clinical placement as determined by the clinical coordinator.

Assessment Task 2: Professional Development Journal

Weighting 40%

This assessment task supports CLO 4

Assessment Task 3: Case Study

Weighting 30%

This assessment task supports CLOs 1, 2 & 3

Assessment Task 4: Tests (Hospital Law and Ethics)

Weighting 30%

This assessment task supports CLO 5