Policy

Student medical radiographers must possess adequate knowledge, skills and abilities to provide safe, effective client care and perform tasks within the programs academic, laboratory and clinical components. The practice of medical radiography involves cognitive, sensory, affective and psychomotor performance requirements. These requirements are necessary for participation in the Medical Radiography Program.

Medical Radiography students should possess and be able to demonstrate the following:

Cognitive: Ability to be oriented to time, place and person; organize responsibilities and make decisions. Critical thinking ability sufficient for clinical judgment: collect and analyze data to assist in problem solving; identify cause and effect relationship in clinical situations; develop, implement and motify if required, medical radiography exam protocols.

Sensory: Visual ability sufficient for: observation and assessment of patient general Condition and responses in both well and dimly illuminated environments; assess and analyze Radiologic image levels of density / brightness, contrast degree and scale and degree of spatial resolution and the adequacy /completeness of diagnostic information present (this includes the ability to visually discriminate between 20% gray-scale differences on a trans-illuminated or CRT displayed image and visually resolve up to ten line-pairs per millimeter.) Hearing ability sufficient to: assess and monitor patient sounds such as cries for help, breathing, etc.; monitor alarms, tones and other equipment related auditory signals. Tactile ability sufficient for: physical assessment which includes palpation including taking pulses and for therapeutic interventions which require tactile ability (e.g. insertion of tubes); assess degree of wetness / dryness of radiographic films

Affective: Interpersonal abilities sufficient to effect positive interactions with individuals, families and groups from a variety of social, emotional, cultural and intellectual backgrounds (this includes the ability to establish a positive Radiographer / patient relationship and a positive rapport with patients, their families as well as with members of the health care team.)

Psychomotor: Physical abilities sufficient to move from room to room and to maneuver in small spaces. Gross and fine motor abilities sufficient to provide safe and effective medical radiography care such as lifting, moving and positioning patients; moving / using equipment, some of which is suspended approximately six feet from the floor; administer CPR; perform other skills associated with patient care and the production of radiologic images.

Procedure

1. The student/applicant must provide to the Director, Student and Alumni Services documentation from a professional evaluation including the nature and extent of functional disability and suggestions, if possible, for accommodations and modifications.
2. The Director, Student and Alumni Services will meet with the student/applicant to discuss the findings from the evaluation and to elicit student input for possible accommodation/modification and, if deemed necessary, will meet with the Program Director to discuss possible accommodations.
3. If accommodation/modification cannot be reasonably made, the Director, Student and Alumni Services will confer with the Vice President for Education and together they will meet with the student/applicant to discuss the evaluation findings and provide outside resources and referrals, if possible.
4. If accommodation/modification can be reasonably made, the Director, Student and Alumni Services will draft an educational plan that addresses the students identified needs for accommodation/modification.
5. The plan will be reviewed with the student and, if acceptable, will be signed by the student and the Director, Student and Alumni Services.
6. The original educational plan and evaluation materials will be filed in the student record. Copies of the educational plan will be distributed as follows:
   • 1 to the student
   • 1 to the Director, Student and Alumni Services
   • 1 to the Medical Radiography Program Director
7. The student shall assume responsibility for sharing the educational plan with all appropriate clinical, laboratory and classroom faculty
8. The educational plan may be modified at any time by mutual agreement between the student and the Director, Student and Alumni Services. Any modification will result in a new educational plan and will be distributed as above.

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