A Day in General X-Ray

We've not even been on a full week of clinical placement yet, and this has become so true!

Stardate: 91457.12

Another week down, and I've had another clinical placement visit! Not only that, but as of Sunday, I'll be living away from Leeds for 3 weeks while the first full placement period comes up. Nervous, moi?

This time, I was on the rota for General X-Ray, which of course can only mean chest x-rays galore! Despite being under the impression X-Ray departments tend to be very busy, the morning was quite slow, and was definitely all chest x-rays, so you get used to positioning for them really fast. Everyone's body is different, but the technique very rarely strays from the norm.

I also witnessed a good variation of hands, knees, and spinal x-rays, but this was all mixed in with lots of standing around and looking completely clueless while the qualified radiographers chatted between one another and assessed each others images.

The two most exciting occurrences of the day turned out to be a doctor with a piece of wine glass left over in his finger, and a police-accompanied patient. Apparently, it's all in a day's work! To keep myself busy on the other hand, a classmate and I tried to ask as many questions to the radiographers as possible. This varied from "What does this abbreviation mean?" "Why have you increased the kV?" "What are these marks/spots/dots on the image here?" "Do you want me to process the cassette?" to "Do you need me to clean anything?" Basically, anything to prevent myself from standing around.

I've noticed that if you observe enough examinations, you quickly learn the standard kV and mAs (exposure) levels. Our clinical tutor's advice to us was to carry around a little pocket notebook, to keep on hand what we'd learnt that day that would relate to anything we'd need later on. Stupidly, I forgot mine, but I do remember that a standard average male chest x-ray exposure is 60kV at 10mAs, but a female's is 60kV at 8mAs (don't worry, it will possibly make sense one day), and I also remembered that SUFE stands for Slipped Upper Femoral Epiphysis. Not bad, I suppose!

Anyway, I did enjoy my second day, though it didn't exactly live up to my fainting first day! I can't wait to get to the full placement blocks, but I'm definitely worried about moving into another new home! I'm sure I'll manage, and hopefully finding my way to the satellite sites at some point will be smooth and not too difficult and frightening!

Also, the image above happens to be my own design... I'm quite proud of it did you know (despite it not being amazing)

LLAP!

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!

Fresher's Fatigue

Stardate: 91336.68

So, it's only two days into Fresher's Week, and I'm already getting tired! Although you hear plenty about it, Fresher's Week really does knacker you out (and for me that's even without riotous nights out!) Your first day is always without doubt just an information overload! But luckily, everyone's just as lost as one other, and still trying to get to know their classmates. Not only that, but if you walk past the Parkinson Building countless people offer you handfuls of vouchers and flyers, some by hand (or in a bag if it's from Dominoes.)

You get welcomed by the staff who'll be teaching you, meet your mentors and have a general look around campus. Our first day went smoothly as a whole... well, after we had a bit of a palaver over a double-booked room. 

Today, however, was our clinical placement visit day. Each group of radiography students went to their respective sites, and learnt more about the place they would be studying. 

We arrived at the first site to meet one of our lecturer practitioners, and have our ID cards issued. Pinning them on suddenly made everything seem a little bit more real, (I know I certainly started to feel a little more professional wearing mine), even though we all know not one of us have a clue what we're doing!

Our mentors gave us tours around both the main teaching sites. Both sites were large buildings and although imposing at first, I'm pretty sure I'll get used to them eventually! The one thing that will need to be learnt quickly is finding my way to the secondary accommodation and back, as well as the bus routes! Nobody wants to get lost on their first few days of placement!

Welcome packs for the sites were also handed out, which told us what we'd be doing on our first two clinical days (spread over a two week period). My week one's clinical day will be spent in Mobiles & Theatre, and week two will be in General X-ray. I seriously can't wait! It'll be so exciting!

Aside from the walking and piling-up information, the day was fun and a nice day out for us all. I may not remember everything I was told, but I definitely can't wait to get out on placement, and really start getting my teeth into being a student radiographer! Hopefully I catch up with the rest of Fresher's Week... it's a little sad when you've barely done anything, and you have to nap at home later on!

LLAP and Geronimo!

Placements Panic!

Okay, so I had a little bit of a freak-out when I found out where my placement was. I soon got over it...

Stardate: 91300.62

Okay! So, us student radiographers at Leeds have finally found out which hospitals we're going to be working in for the next 3 years. There are currently four trusts that the University of Leeds place students at:

• Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
• Harrogate & District NHS Foundation Trust
• York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Hull & East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust

My first reaction was to become upset and start panicking, big time (and I mean, Big Time). Mine is away from Leeds, which means I'll be needing to stay in secondary accommodation. So I'll be living out of a suitcase for half the year, while paying for a rented house, that half the time I won't even be living in!

But despite all the original downsides I saw, I realised it was still a placement, the course is still what I want to do, so I'd have to deal with it.

I looked into everything, and it turns out living in secondary accommodation isn't so expensive (especially as you can claim the travel and accommodation costs back). The two recommended places were about £64-75, and didn't look too daunting. Another upside, is that all of the students on placement will be from your course, and you're all in the same boat, so it'll be easier to make friends and bond (I suppose I can pretend I enjoy leaving my room on occasion!)

After speaking to the university about my concerns, I was paired up with a student mentor who had been in a similar situation to me last year, so it's calmed me down realising I'm not the only one who struggles! I suppose that's the biggest thing to remember, you're not alone, nearly ever NHS student has placement problems at some point!

During our induction week, we'll also be visiting our clinical placements, to receive our ID cards, and to look around, so hopefully I'll warm to my site by the end of the day!

LLAP and enjoy a complimentary jelly baby :)