Essay on Knowledge, Skills, and Experience in Medical Imaging

Introduction

Medical imaging is a critical area of concentration in the medical field which involves the use of different imaging technologies to view the human body. The technologies are highly specialized and are used for different purposes and to view different body parts for diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of medical conditions in different parts of the body. Each of the medical imaging technologies is used differently depending on the sensitivity of the affected body part. In general, however, medical imaging is an important part of a treatment that often gives articulate information that would not be accessible by a doctor without the involvement of radiography. The field increases the effectiveness of medical treatment, and hence radiographers have to be approved by the Medical Radiation Technologist Board (MRTB) after meeting certain criteria. Some of the conditions that a duly registered radiographer should meet are a clear understanding of the legal, ethical, safety and quality requirements, departmental and national policies, leadership skills, the ability to accommodate intra inter-professional teamwork and a clear understanding of emerging technologies and practices in the medical field. By fulfilling these competencies, a radiographer is assumed to be fully versed in the training.

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Legal, Safety, and Ethical Requirements

Practicing as a radiographer in an approved medical facility, a radiographer is expected by the law to be duly registered by the MRTB. Registration by the MRTB is a legal requirement which is expressively defined in the code of conduct of radiographers. The Health Professions Order (2001) among other Acts control the approval, licensing and registration of radiographers in the country. The Health Professions Order (2001) is one of the stringent laws that define the capacity of radiographers, their classifications and their specializations (Mantas et al., 2010). The MRTB is empowered by the Act to follow up the licensure of radiographers. Licensure as per the statute requires that one who is licensed by MRTB should, at last, have a diploma or degree in medical imaging. Radiographers as per the statute are classified into two namely the diagnostic radiographer and the therapeutic radiographer. Under permission and while under the care of senior practitioners, a student radiographer is also allowed to undertake activities that pertain to radiography.

Additionally, to be licensed a student of radiography, one must at least show specialization in the field by generally having the ability to differentiate different matters that are related to radiography. The MRTB weighs the skills, approves and licenses those who display undoubted levels of skills. As per the law, therefore, it is illegal to practice radiography, even as a trained radiographer while the licensure is pending canceled or disapproved. Multiple legal requirements face a practitioner while they are in practice (Schalock, Verdugo & Gomez, 2011). Such is ensuring the medical fitness of the patient to undertake a radiography test, fitness to practice among others.

Considering ethical requirements, a radiographer is guided by the best practice ethical code of conduct. The best practice ethical code of conduct is the ethical requirement that requires radiographers to consider making a safe environment for all users of medical imaging equipment. Integrity and honesty are pertinent ethical requirements for a radiographer which is heavily invested in the professional practice guide (Yielder, 2006). A practitioner is expected to handle the five precepts of philosophy inclusive of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, and trustworthiness. A radiographer is therefore expected to maintain respect for persons, do what is good an beneficial to the users of the radiography facility, prevent the used of the medical imaging equipment free from harm, ensure that treatment of people and the environment is fair and also create the culture of trustworthiness amongst them and all other uses of the medical facility. Failure to observe the professional code of ethics results in professional liability and could lead to cancellation of a radiographer's license in case of gross violation.

Having observed the critical legal and ethical requirements that face a radiographer, it is evident that the radiography profession is one that requires a discrete observation of the legal necessities and the professional code of conduct. It would be hard to practice in the field without meeting the legal requirements (Greenspan, Ginneken & Summers, 2016). If the professional code of conduct is also not followed effectively, license cancelation could happen, and hence there is a need for a practitioner to realize the immense needs that face them and adopt to the needs of the profession. The profession is one that is rather demanding both in the legal and the ethical aspect, but the requirements are necessary for the creation of a thriving and reliable medical imaging department that can offer patients noble services.

Departmental Policy and Processes

The radiography department of a medical facility in the United States has to follow a set of processes and procedures which are mainly aimed at ensuring that best practice is upheld. The significant practice in the department concerns ensuring that the imaging equipment put in place is effective else wrong diagnosis would be encountered (Ma, Shang & Bott, 2015). Once imaging equipment is installed, inspection of the equipment happens or a regular basis to ensure that the equipment is necessary for diagnosis. Next, maintenance happens whenever some faults are identified by technicians in the view that such minor faults would endanger the life of a patient.

Crucial processes, procedures, and protocols are however followed while in the actual process of conducting imaging. The process is one which seeks to ensure the ultimate privacy of the patients. The privacy of patients who have undergone radiography is an imminent principle that must be assured since information released from the process is crucial and is pertinent to them since it is private information that regards their health and could be used for the wrong purposes such intimidation. A radiographer ought to be careful while conducting the process considering that they perform radiography tests for many patients and thus a chance of mixing the films is high. Radiographers are therefore expected to first conduct patient identification before conducting the actual examination (Mantas et al., 2010). Patient identification is done from the point of informed consent whereby the patients are fully informed of the records and their storage. The identification could be done on the film itself or an envelope, but it is necessary to consider the patient's choice.

Radiographers are not primary medical doctors, and hence they cannot conduct diagnosis or direct that patients take radiographs. It is, therefore, a policy of the radiography department that no radiographer can perform primary examinations without directions being issued by a physician. Radiography departmental processes are therefore independent of other departments but are dependent on physician directions. Before actual examinations are done on a patient, however, departmental heads must conform that the directions of the physician are the same that are executed (Schalock, Verdugo & Gomez, 2011). Patient preparedness has to be first ensured in the consideration that some radiographs are largely dependent on patient's emotions and hence it is necessary.

Radiography departmental policies and processes are directed. Learning about the processes assured me that it is a sensitive process that requires special dressing and ability to handle imaging equipment. It is a crucial process that requires inspections of equipment because they their results could lead to the wrong results and wrong diagnosis which are a violation of the code of ethics (Moscova et al., 2015). Going forward, I am well versed with principles, protocol and processes that are upheld in the department and prepare me for greater success while handling higher level equipment and more complex interpretation of radiographs and diagnosis forthwith.

Leadership Skills

Diagnostic radiography is a process that requires radiographers who are well-suited for leadership skills. According to Johns (2017), today's health environment is one that is quite challenging for imaging administrators and radiologists. Radiologists need to possess leadership skills to face complex diseases that are arising in the modern society some of which are too complex to decode. Leadership is, therefore, necessary for a radiologist as they will be required to make critical decisions that reflect in the life of an individual patient. Beyond the professional practice, radiologists are charged with duties such as ensuring negotiations, communication and engagement skills across the various departments in the organization. The ability to understand new trends in imaging, regulations, policies, and shifts in payment models are not necessary factors that are taught in radiography classes. Radiologists, therefore, need to chat their way and improve their leadership skills while in operation at the medical facility.

Unlike in the traditional settings, today's radiologists need to have some leadership skills instilled in them since they are facing modern challenges where modern solutions have to be found. Short learning time for new technologies and improvements is necessary for a radiologist, and as such, they must display leadership skills. Radiologists under training need to be well versed with the patient-centric world where regardless of the skills and expertise with specific equipment, a solution to the patient's problem has to be found and diagnosed, and in the right modus (Greenspan, Ginneken & Summers, 2016). Hierarchical leadership is therefore not very efficient in today's leadership of the radiography department, and everyone thus has to possess some leadership skills.

Radiography leaders, however, need to possess specific leadership skills that are necessary for the primary running of the department. Some of these leadership skills are the honesty, persuasiveness, understanding, and supportiveness. Modern radiography institutions are held by elder radiologists who need to be raised up and trained on how to handle the profession with ultimate care and effort (Kendrick et al., 2007). This radiologist leaders need to take new radiologists through the process and equip them with not only the skills of practice but also skills on how to handle clients and also handle emergencies of failures that could arise in the process of imaging. The aim consideration for radiologist leaders is that their best practice bars them from endangering lives and hence they have to be actively involved in every process imagining instance being held by a minor to see it from the start to the end.

My understanding of the leadership skills that are required by radiologists was through my internship whereby I encountered multiple imaging instances. As a student, I accompanied the senior and junior radiologists conducting the process and noted leadership skills such as selflessness, understanding among others. I learned that even when one is functionally equipped with knowledge of different radiography technologies, they cannot have a complete understanding of the equipment and their requirements (Ma, Shang & Bott, 2015). I also learned that radiologists have to leverage themselves to learn more in conferences and seminar where new skills are imparted in such occasions by more specialized radiologists.

For an action plan, I realized that I have some meaningful lead...