RA115 Unit 2 ch 5-7 & 9

Compare the use of barium and iodine in contrast examinations.

Barium is only used for gastrointestinal studies because it cannot be absorbed so it has to work through the digestive system. But the use of iodine contrast is used to organs and blood vessels to provide a contrast between these structures and the surrounding tissues. Iodine has a higher atomic number, and it could cause different reactions in each patient, so the radiographer must be prepared for those reactions for each exam.

Relate hand washing to infection control.

Hand washing is very important to reducing the risk of spreading infection from one patient to another. Things like washing down equipment after each examination with disinfecting solutions and washing hands before and after putting on gloves will be effective ways to controlling the spread of infection.

Practice effective listening using the examples of empathetic statements provided.

If I were to say, "I am sorry that you are frustrated with your situation," I would practice effective listening by facing my patient, having good eye contact, staying relaxed with arms uncrossed, using facial expressions to express concern, using vocalizations (ex. I see), Giving your undivided attention to your patient, and avoid interrupting.

Discuss the importance of accurate patient identification.

When identifying a patient, the information of the patient's examination request form must match the patient's wrist band or their verbal verification. It is important to do this because if you do an exam on the wrong person, you as the radiographer could be in serious legal issues.

Visit your clinical site's websites and view their advertising to experience how they present themselves to their patients. Evaluate how you, as a student, will need to blend with the expectations presented there.

At Cedar Valley OrthoAgility Center in Cedar Falls, as a student, I will need to be very professional and precise in order to blend in. This clinic presents themselves as a professional, precise, and positive environment that patients will feel comfortable and content in knowing that they will be taken care of thoroughly. Although students are not expected to know everything that is asked of a registered technologist, it is expected that the student communicates clearly with the patients, can be quick with their procedures, remain professional, and maintain a clean environment.

Describe the increasing role of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in radiographic examinations.

Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging both have increasing roles in radiographic examinations because these two radiographic machines can see things easier than a fluoroscopic study might see in a urinary system study. CT and MRI almost always will be a part of a radiographic exam in some way or another.

Discuss the importance of external and internal patient preparation, including its role in radiation protection.

External preparation is important in radiology because this is where you have the patient remove any clothing or jewelry that may have metal in it that could obstruct any anatomy in the radiograph. Metal buttons or zippers in jeans could block the radiologist from seeing a fracture or something. Internal preparation is when any cleansing enema is given to the patient so that structures in the abdomen are not obstructed for the examination performed. As a radiographer, it is important to know all aspects of the external and internal preparation of a patient and how it could affect radiation protection.

Based on your knowledge of your community, discuss the diversity you will likely encounter in clinical education. Decide what accommodations may be necessary to respect such diversity.

In my hometown, there isn't a lot of diversity. But in the Waterloo area, there is a lot of diversity, something that I am not used to, but not naive to. Some people may not speak English or cannot speak at all, so an interpreter may be needed to assist. Another thing that I may encounter could be religious or cultural beliefs and how they could affect an exam. For example, someone may believe that x-rays are bad and cannot help them based on their religious belief that God has a plan and that medical attention cannot help them unless God wanted it to help them. Things like this may require a different examination or no examination at all in which you cannot do anything if the patient refuses medical attention.

Compare and contrast the characteristics associated with each age group and how they impact patient care.

Infants are learning their motor and sensory functions, but they have two main fears: falling and loud noises. Safe and gentleness towards an infant is the first thing that a radiographer must worry about, and the second thing is the amount of radiation exposure the infant gets. A child who is 1-3 years old is learning how to form words and sentences and knows the difference between right and wrong; however they may not follow instructions. The radiographer must know how to utilize the parent of guardian (who brought the child) to help the child sit still and be calm. Gaining a child's trust is the best thing the radiographer can do to help improve their chances of keeping the child still. Children 3-12 years old learn the concept of self and learn a lot about the big and confusing world. Being able to communicate with this age group should not be a problem, however the radiographer may run into abused children; communication with children like this could be difficult, but gaining some trust may be key to proceeding with the exam. Adolescents ages 12-21 start to develop a sense of independency and want to make their own decisions. However children under the age of 18 years are unable to make their own decisions, so as the radiographer, it is hard to know who has the legal authority to make medical decisions over the child. Young adults ages 21-45 are independent and most have started a family, have a job, and have a home. This age group is typically easy to work with because they are usually good listeners and can follow instructions. Middle age adults ages 45-65 usually have settled down and much of their children have or are becoming independent. Interacting with patients of this age group is much like the young adults group. The senior citizen age group (65 years and older) are the faster growing population of this country and many other countries in the world. Many people of this age group still work, are volunteers, or even start a new career. The patients of this age group may require extra help to walk, stand, sit, or lay down for exams. They may have trouble hearing or seeing, so following instructions may be difficult. The differences in all of these age groups are clear and as a radiographer, knowing your patient is the best way to know how to give instruction.

Discuss the importance of properly addressing patients of various ages.

It is important to address a 3-year-old child differently than a 40-year-old adult because of various reasons. Adults tend to understand and follow directions easier than a 3-year-old child because a 3-year-old child is still developing the right from wrong understanding. Young children may choose to follow directions or to do what they want to do. Addressing an adolescent can be different than talking to a 40-year-old adult because adolescents want to be independent and make their own decisions, but they have to have a parent or legal guardian sign a consent form for them. A 40-year-old adult doesn't need to have a parent or legal guardian sign a consent form for them, and they are often easy to give directions to, and often will ask about their health and express their concerns. Addressing different age groups are important to understand how to do because different age groups have different levels of understanding. Knowing your patient's age group and needs will help you in knowing how to explain things and how to speak differently as well.

Discuss the importance of learning the language of medicine.

It is important to learn the language of medicine to understand the differences in procedures and body parts. Learning the language of medicine will help medical professionals to communicate about different health conditions and can help understand how or what to do next for the patient's health. Each medical profession has a language of its own, but medical terminology will help healthcare workers to understand the language of each profession in the language of medicine.

Explain the importance of proper body mechanics to both patient and radiographer.

It is important to maintain proper body mechanics in order to reduce the risk of injury to yourself and the patient. This is done by spreading your feet slightly apart to maintain center of gravity and holding your patient as close to your body to as possible. This will help to protect your muscles from injury and reduce risk of further injury to your patient.

Discuss possible points of conflict in clinical education and how they may be managed using conflict resolution tools.

One possible point of conflict in the clinical setting is miscommunication. For example, there could be be a miscommunication between radiology and the doctor as to what x-rays are needed to be taken. This could cause for the patient having the wrong x-rays done, and a whole new mess could occur. Conflict resolution tools are used not only between consumers and providers, but they can be used within a department to help resolve a conflict. This is just lone of many possible points of conflict in clinical education; there could be many more possibilities.

Discuss the primary advantage of using fluoroscopy.

One primary advantage of using fluoroscopy is that the radiologist or the radiologist assistant can make a proper diagnosis of an issue by seeing the images and effects of fluoroscopy "live" or "dynamic." Fluoroscopy can be used for many different exams allowing the radiologist or radiologist assistant to see tumors, constrictions, or spasms in the esophagus for example.

Explain the advantage of all medical personnel speaking the same professional language.

The advantage of all medical personnel speaking the same professional language is that everyone is on the same page for a patient's condition. Every profession has a different set of terms in the language of medicine. It is important that professionals of the same profession understand and communicate the same set of languages so that there is no confusion.

Explain why the radiographer must be knowledgeable of all types of biomedical equipment and patient conditions.

The radiographer must be aware of all biomedical equipment and how to sterilize them and sterilize the area. For example, being comfortable with the use, identification, and operation of equipment like ECG electrodes is important in case that the patient needed an emergency ECG. Proper sterilization and attention must be given to make sure that the tubes, machine, and electrodes do not become contamination with potential infectious diseases. There are many conditions a patient can have and it is important to be aware of each type.

Discuss the critical importance of infection control.

Using isolation, sterilization, and aseptic techniques contribute to lowering the spread of infectious diseases. It is important to use these techniques in order to stop the spread of infection to other patients. Wiping down equipment after each exam with disinfecting solutions and hand washing are two ways of reducing the spread of infectious diseases.

Discuss experiences you have had being a patient in a hospital, clinic, or doctor's office. From your perspective as the patient, determine what interactions were positive and which were negative.

When I had knee surgery in 2019, everything was a blur. From the parts that I do remember, being the patient was hard because I wanted to be the one helping instead of being the one who needed help. There were many positive interactions between me and the nurses, despite the reason why I had to have surgery. The nurses were very thorough and positive about my outcome and made sure that I knew what they would be doing when they were doing something, and what I needed to do to be helpful in any way. There was one bad interaction that I had with them, and that was when I asked them if I should be scared, and one nurse told me yes. It was a very scary day after that, and it was hard for me to be positive about the situation. Some people are very blunt with their patients, and from that experience, I know as a health care worker to be careful about how to say things.

Reflecting on your own experiences as a patient, describe the impact of professional answers to patients' questions on their confidence in the care being provided.

When I was a patient for my knee surgery, I was strongly encouraged to know that my care was in good hands. All of the staff were positive (except for one) and I felt as if I could relax. Yes, it was a stressful recovery and surgery, but the staff was very professional in their answers to my questions, comforting me if I was worried or scared, and more.

Some terminology is unique to radiology. Discuss why it is important to master these terms before entering the clinical setting.

When entering the clinical setting, it is important to master these unique terms to radiology so that when you get to clinicals, you and your colleagues know what you are speaking of about each patient. Without knowing the unique terms of radiology, you may get confused about a type of fracture or a type of disease a patient has.

Discuss ways in which patients define quality of care.

When patients come in to a clinic or hospital, they put their full trust in us, the healthcare facility, to take care of them. Their lives are in our hands, and so their experience in our care needs to be a good experience to keep a good reputation. Some ways to define their quality of care could be positive, thorough, passionate, safe, comfortable, affordable, etc. However, there could be some negative experiences. Some negative words could be expensive, unkind, impatient, stressful, etc. It all depends on the situation and the person. Other ways the patient could evaluate the quality of their care is appearances of the radiographer, how the radiographer speaks to the patient, etc. Our goal is to help the patient feel like they are in good hands and cant trust us.