My First Clinical Placement Visit... The Walkthrough!

Definitely how you feel when you finally get out on placement and do something useful!

Stardate: 91438.12

Evening everyone! As you all know today was my first clinical placement visit. After a mad dash to the train (after the ticket collection machine crashed on me) I collapsed on the train's floor, knackered already from waking up at 5.45. The rest of the morning's travel schedule went as planned, and we got to the hospital at least 20 minutes early, which is always a good start. My friend and I were down on the rota to be in mobiles and theatre, and at first we were at little nervous as it was our first day, but really I had an amazing day.

I started off by watching a general chest x-ray, as no surgeries were scheduled until later, but then one of the radiographers came to take a student down to the theatre room, and typical me, I was straight in to volunteer! So I walked down to theatre, and was shown where to get scrubs (I picked blues naturally, I'm not sure I'd have worked/liked the pink ones) and got changed into them. Important fact: scrubs are incredibly comfy, you won't want to change out of them! At first, I put the trousers over my uniform ones (like an idiot), but I was soon set straight! Hair nets were next (these I do not like), and finally the surgical masks. I was given two lead rubber aprons: a skirt and a top, and honestly they are so much heavier than they look!

Once that was all sorted, I was shown how to use the C-Arm and what radiographers working in orthopaedic theatres have to do. I watched some fluoroscopy procedures and I began to watch a bone graft from hip to ankle, but unfortunately, I fainted. 

No, I wasn't grossed out, I didn't feel sick, and I was sufficiently hydrated and fed... I was just too hot. This was the result of having to wear two lead rubber aprons, the lack of a cooling system and the claustrophobic like feelings induced from wearing all this as well as a surgical mask. So I had somehow managed to completely overheat and fainted. I was even considerate enough to go into a corner of the room first, so as to be out of the way! As I hadn't hit my head,  I only needed to be taken to recovery to my 'stats' checked. My BP was fine, but my temperature was shockingly high until I had a drink and cooled down. In the end I retrieved my surgical clogs and made my way back to general x-ray to have lunch. I was pretty eager to go back, but just to be safe, my tutor decided it'd be better if I worked on mobiles for a while.

I watched one mobile case, a patient that had just come out of surgery and was a little too groggy from anaesthesia, and then I was shown how to take a lateral chest x-ray. My clinical day ended with me watching a ureteroscopy over in Urology. And this time, I didn't faint!

Overall, I really enjoyed my time on this placement. Everyone was really willing and ready to tell you everything about anything, and I saw a lot more than I expected to see on my first day.

I can't wait for next Thursday now!

LLAP

References

1. Eleventh Doctor 'Who Da Man!', n.d. gif, viewed 31 October 2013,<http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee517/bubblemaddie/random/tumblr_lq97tjzqCA1qbj6cco1_500.gif>.

The End of the Beginning!

I have broken one of my own "rules" and instigated a photo being taken... of myself!

Stardate: 91429.8

I'm now onto Week 5 of my course, and on Thursday (yes, Halloween) I will be off out on my first day of clinical placement (it's only for one day, but the big 3 week placement is looming closer!) Am I nervous? Maybe... okay, yes. (Mainly because as I've said before, us newbies pretty much know absolutely nothing!

Yes, we've had some basic clinical skills drilled in, such as Moving & Handling, Basic Life Support, and Basic Positioning and Patient Care Techniques, but I am wondering which of my fellow students have actually managed to retain all this well enough to not blank on the first day!

Our comfortable start of semester lectures are starting to get more complex (but not difficult, just more interesting... apparently we cannae change the laws of physics), everyone's starting to tire out faster, books are starting to be loaned from the libraries (not that I hadn't started that as soon as I got to Leeds, mind) and we're all (I'm sure) getting nervous for our first real placement. 

For my first "introductory" day on placement, I'll be working on Mobiles and Theatre. Fitting for All Hallows' Eve, one believes. Here's hoping it isn't too... horrifying! 

(Dammit Jim, I'm a student radiographer, not a comedian!)

Professional Practice Assessment and Markers!

So, how on earth am I supposed to customise these?!

Stardate: 91380.69

Today in our Professional Practice (Clinical Skills) class, we were informed on how the module was going to be assessed. Personally, it sounded incredibly overwhelming, but once I get into the swing of clinical I'm sure I'll get the hang of the assessment process.

Basically, the way we'll be assessed for our clinical practice is like so:

• Clinical Placement Assessment
  - weekly monitoring forms
  - observed assessment of practice
  - unassisted examinations with a final unassisted examination in 5 areas: upper limb, lower limb, chest, spine and abdomen/pelvis
• and Portfolio Assessment
  - record of clinical experience
  - evidence of clinical practice
  - ALPS forms
  - 1 case study- training certificates

On paper it looks simple (well, it doesn't when you go through the whole handbook), but it gets confusing quickly!

After this had been explained as simply as possible, we then went through the first rite of passage as student radiographers: receiving our radiographic markers!

Ours look a lot like the picture above, and we've been told that in order to not lose them, we need to personalise them somehow. Looking at mine, I have no idea how this will be achieved... maybe I'll draw a Starfleet symbol on them.... or maybe engrave my name in Circular Gallifreyan. Who knows? As long as people know they're my markers, it'll be fine. I'll just make mine as geeky as is possible. 

It's amazing how two thin strips of metal can make one person so proud of themselves... and so ready to start practising some x-ray examinations! 

LLAP guys!

The Madness With Modules

Sometimes you just can't get this across enough!

Stardate: 91366.72

Our first proper week is over, and yes, I'm tired. But, it's been fun! Despite having to do a module that nobody particularly wants to do, the heavy rain, and my now aching body, I'm looking forward to the rest of the year! All the lecturers are really nice and seem enthusiastic about what they teach, which always helps!

The modules we're studying this semester are:

• Musculoskeletal Anatomy and Radiographic Pattern Recognition
• Learning Together, Working Together
• Professional Practice 1
• and Medical Imaging Science

They're all interesting and fun, but the only one not many of us are fond of is the 'Learning Together, Working Together'. It's basically an inter-professional learning module, but so far we've just learnt about working in teams... which is pretty much common sense, but hey ho.

Being the eager student I am (especially as I enjoy anatomy and physiology), I've already started to memorise the bones of the hand and wrist, which actually comprise the first workbook we have to complete for December (our lecturer hasn't even set the work yet, but I'd like to get it out of the way before placement and before the deadline arrives!)

Medical Imaging is general physics tailored to fit Radiography. So far we've gone over matter, electromagnetic radiation, and exposure factors. It's not as difficult as everybody says it will be at all! But then again, I enjoy physics, formulae and maths, so maybe I'm not the best person to ask (this coming from someone who never used to like them!)

Finally, we've been taught clinical skills to prepare ourselves a bit more before we go onto placements! We've learnt how to take blood pressure and pulse, had our uniforms inspected (comfortable and easily-cleanable shoes are a must!), gone over how to wash our hands correctly (I know it sounds ridiculous, but you'd be surprised at how dirty your hands really are... and for someone with OCPD-tendencies it's terrifying!)

I've also joined the Taekwon-do club, which has contributed to me feeling considerably knackered too, but well worth it!