Standardised training and assessment in radiation safety for diagnostic radiographers

[摘要] English: Radiographers are occupationally exposed to ionising radiation and therefore considered radiation workers. First-year radiography students are placed in clinical practice within weeks of enrolment without proof of knowledge of radiation safety requirements. The qualified radiographer may apply to be the licence holder of X-ray equipment or is often appointed as a responsible person for X-ray equipment. The third-year radiography student on the brink of graduation is thus a potential licence holder of medical X-ray equipment. The Department of Health mandates the responsibilities of radiation workers and licence holders in the Hazardous Substances Act, Regulations 1332, and guideline documents, namely the Code of practice for users of medical X-ray equipment and the Requirements for licence holders with respect to quality control tests for diagnostic X-ray imaging systems. The purpose of the regulations is to ensure the safe use of X-ray equipment so that the ionising radiation dose to the staff and the patient is kept as low as reasonably achievable.The research problem is that the regulations depict that licence holders of X-ray equipment must educate radiation workers and implement quality control tests, but nationally no standardised monitoring of radiation safety and quality control requirements education is currently in place.The purpose of this study was to develop standardised radiation safety and quality control requirement training and assessment for diagnostic radiography to address radiation safety.The methods that were utilised were a literature review that provided background in order to contextualise the research problem and to develop the criteria for the training and assessment; a Delphi survey involving a panel of experts to establish a set of criteria suitable for a basic or advanced component of the training and assessment; questionnaires for radiography students to determine the knowledge of the radiation worker before the training, and questionnaires determining the effect of training on the knowledge by means of a post-test. Results of the Delphi survey identified the content of the radiation safety and quality control requirements for training and assessment by means of the contribution of a panel of experts. The development and execution of the training and assessment statements formed part of action research that contributed to fill the gap pertaining to the education and training in the requirements for radiation safety and quality control for radiation workers and medical X-ray equipment licence holders in the higher education environment.The contribution of the research was to develop standardised training and assessment content and methods for diagnostic radiographers regarding the radiation safety and quality control requirements for radiation workers and medical X-ray equipment licence holders to be implemented in the diagnostic radiography healthcare environment. The recommendation is that this study may serve as a directive for higher education institutions, the Directorate: Radiation Control, as well as licence holders, that will benefit if evidence can be confirmed of the educational and training attainment of radiographers regarding the requirements for radiation safety and quality control.Standardised training and assessment in radiation safety and quality control requirements have the potential to enhance the safety of the first-year radiography students as beginner radiation workers, the compliance of the third-year students as potential licence holders of medical X-ray equipment, and, as a result, the safety of patients.

[发布机构] University of the Free State