MSc Medical Imaging: Practice Education Reflective Report

This report is a reflective analysis of a student's learning journey within the MSc Medical Imaging program, specifically focusing on the Practice Education and Mentorship module. The student critically evaluates their enhanced understanding of professional competence as a Practice Educator, exploring various teaching and learning strategies, including the recognition of diverse learning styles. The report delves into the impact of practice placement experiences on the recruitment and retention of diagnostic radiographers, highlighting factors such as preparation for positive experiences, addressing student concerns, and providing effective support. Furthermore, the report includes a synopsis of a journal article, discussing challenges in recruiting and retaining therapeutic radiographers and the student's plans to apply this knowledge to enhance their future clinical teaching and learning practice. The student reflects on how the course has improved their abilities to support, educate, and mentor learners. This assignment aims to provide insights on the role of practice education and mentorship in medical imaging.

Introduction
I will critically reflect on the extent to which my knowledge and understanding of the
concept of professional competence as Practice Educator have been enhanced. I seek to
reflect on how the taught components of MSc in Medical Imaging course through the Practice
Education and Mentorship module has influenced my understanding of strategies for teaching
and learning. I will critically evaluate the extent to which the strategies and models have
previously and effectively been enhanced in my practice. I will also reflect on how I intend to
revise my approach to boost my capacity to effectively support, educate, and mentor my
learners. I will critically explore how the practice placement {learning) experience influences
the recruitment and retention of Diagnostic Radiographer.
Part 2: Structured Essay
2A. Strategies for Teaching and Learning
I have understood strategies for teaching and learning through this course as discussed
in details below:
In regards to the recognition of various styles of learning, my participation in this
course has been of great help. It is through this course that I have come to appreciate that
over fifty percent of competent practice educators are described by learners as those aware of
and reactive to the learning style of the individual learner (Pashler, Bjork, McDaniel. and
Rohrer 2015). This awareness of learning style have motivated me in adapting the other
learning strategies as well as has helped me in using the mixed methods of learning. Thus, I
have embraced a learning style strategy which ensures that I ask my students to identify their
individual styles of learning (whether visual aural, verbal or kinaesthetic learning styles) on
their first placement day via questionnaires or discussions. Technically speaking, the learning
style of an individual refers to the preferential way in which the very student processes,

absorbs, retains and comprehends the information. There are some students who learn by
following verbal instruction, while others require physically manipulation for learning. About
7.5% of the students preferred visual learning style, 3.9% of them preferred auditory, 8.6% of
them preferred reading and writing style and 19% of them preferred kinaesthetic. Hence, it is
to note that 61% of them preferred multi modes of information presentation and only 39%
were the remaining students who preferred a single mode learning style. Such awareness has
enabled me to offer suitable opportunities alongside experiences that facilitate the learning of
my students in a targeted, collaborative manner as well as apply strategies which are
appropriate to the learning of all my students. This strategy has always worked for me as it
helps every student discuss with me how she or he prefers to learn. It also helps me know
what each student has done, and what specific opportunities she or he is hoping for in his or
her placement (Nightingale, Mcnamara and Posnett 2019).
This he1ps us to work together with the student towards his or her identified
preferences. This further helps me to tailor my supervision of every student to suit their
learning styles. To revise my approach to boost my capacity to effectively support, educate,
and mentor my learners in terms of recognition of various styles of learning, I am seeking to
continue being creative and innovative to identify the specific and unique learning styles of
all my students. I am aware of the need to ensure that no student is left behind and that this
can only be achieved if as a competent PED, I can be able to identify and recognize each
student learning style and needs. Because in the previous I have just used questionnaires and
discussion in the first day of students' placement, I seek to change this to be an ongoing
process done from time to time to incorporate every student to suit their learning styles. To
revise my approach to boost my capacity to effectively support, educate, and mentor my
learners in the recognition of various styles of learning, I am seeking to continue being
creative specific and unique learning styles of all my students. I am aware of the need to

ensure that no student is left behind and that this can only be achieved if as a competent PED,
I can be able to identify and recognize each student learning style and needs. Because in the
previous I have just used questionnaires and discussion in the first day of students' placement,
I seek to change this to be an ongoing process done from time to time to incorporate every
emerging need and style of the styles and respond effectively. This will help me effectively
give updated learning styles which would effectively support, educate and mentor my
students. Zheng et al. (2015) too in this context have claimed that taking regular feedbacks
from learners can help in gaining an in-depth understanding of the preferred learning style of
the students and effectively teach them on the different topics. Also, it will help in
understanding how the cognitive variables are affecting the motor skill performance and
learning of the students. Baeten et al. (2010) too have opined that students’ feedback during
the process of learning has been proven to increase their learning as well as improving their
student outcomes, which will further help in reaching the desired goal or target of the lesson.
I have also realized from this course the need to immediately give feedback after the service
provision session as it is regarded as extremely helpful (Brown, Williams and Lynch 2011).
2B (ii). How Practice Placement Experiences Influence Recruitment and Retention
Practice placement has a significant role in attrition of students from pre-registration
programmes. The concern of attribution amongst the diagnostic radiographers and
radiotherapist from training placements remains a challenge for decades despite their growing
role in curing and treatment of cancer.
It is a challenge to expand the radiotherapist workforce both in terms of skills mix and
number to increasing access as well as technical capability. Rising complexities in
radiotherapy both with intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and with Image Guided
Radiotherapy (IGR) culminating in the utilization of 4D adaptive therapy remains crucial to

maximize the opportunities for World Class Radiotherapy. Despite a slight decrease in the
issue of attrition from training placement for these diagnostic radiographers, it remains
substantially higher than any other relative professional. It remains sensible to indicate that
where attrition was decreased to the level of identical professions, the demand and supply
challenge for these diagnostic radiographers would greatly be solved. The particular factors
linked to practice placements include preparation for a positive experience, easing learners
into placement as well as addressing their issues and concerns and providing effective
support to determine the hiring and retention of these professionals. Dissatisfaction amongst
students with practice a placement remains the most often reported reason for incomplete
placement programmes. Poor learners' retention remains wasteful of resources and deterrence
to the plans to sustain and develop radiotherapy labour force. Page 8 of 17 recruiters. This is
because; t assists such students to develop the knowledge, attitude, and skills needed to work
as a team crossways different profession and appreciate each one are input. This boost the
likelihood of recruiting and retaining diagnostic radiographers. This is because these students
undergo long, emotional, exhausting, challenging situations during their placement which
effectively prepare for their future practice. They gain a new experience every day whether
this is observing cancer treatment, observing a novel technique, learning a novel aspect of
patient care or acknowledging when a patient needs medical attention. Offering student such
sets of experience definitely ensure they have the required knowledge and skills to get
recruited and retained.
The students are also involved in various aspects of treatment of a patient under the
placement radiographer supervision which includes first day chats; patient's setting up
alongside treatment sheets' filling. They also taught about the required limitations and
radiation safety procedures which prepare them for future practice hence boosting their
ability to be recruited and retained. The students are also taught to the importance of

communication with both patients and staff which is the most challenging element of the
diagnostic radiographer role. This is because a student will have to converse with a patient
whose prognosis remains positive and those whose conditions remain palliative with only a
short time left to live. This remains an emotional time for both families and patients and
hence it is imperative that a radiographer can empathize with their scenarios and provide the
desired support. Thus, only students who have mastered how to effectively communicate with
patients and families stand a chance of being recruited and retained otherwise they would quit
the profession (Costa 2009).
The experience from practice placement is also effective as it prepares students to
deal with naked bodies, which is important since the nature of radiographer implies that a
diagnostic radiographer will see human flesh and intimate anatomy and requires practical
skills to manually manoeuvre the patients efficiently (Copley, Rodger, Graham and Hannay
2011). For radiographers who have not undergone successful placement, they might see this
as embarrassing yet it is imperative that patient is accorded the priority and made to feel
comfortable and their dignities maintained each time. It only through the experience gained
from practice placement that diagnostic radiographers can meet such demanding
requirements. This because an inexperienced diagnostic radiographer might exit the
profession merely due to being exposed to phlegm, vomiting, and urine alongside other
bodily fluids thus needs to be prepared to have a strong stomach (Akbulut et al. 2011). They
must be given confidence and reassurance that dealing with the cancer patient and treating
them is never as depressing and sad as sad they might think, and that radiography department
can as well be an exciting and jovial place to work.
2C. Journal Article Synopsis

In this section, I will present a brief synopsis of a journal article by Nightingale,
Mcnamara and Posnett (2019) which I have personally located and read to help me
understand the challenges of hiring and retaining therapeutic radiotherapist and radiographers
as a part of the content of the Practice Education and Mentorship Module. I will offer a
rationale for selecting this article and explain why its content is significant to my personal
development as PED. I will also critically discuss how I intend to apply the knowledge
gained from this article to enhance my future clinical teaching and learning practice. The
main theme of this article is the challenges in recruiting and retaining or securing the
therapeutic radiography workforce of the future. The authors have established that the
diagnostic radiography profession development remains limited due to lack of visibility. They
make an appeal for the therapeutic radiographers to let the globe know that they exist. The
absence of public alongside professional awareness of this profession and variation in
practice scope from one country to another is restricting their potential to engage in cross-
European projects alongside multi-disciplinary work which might benefit the patients.
My rationale for choosing this article is that as a PED, my main aim is to give priority
to the patients by preparing my students to tackle them effectively and treat their diseases
efficiently, with full confidence. I believe that the arguments in this article resonate well with
my priority. This is because, in the UK, there is an increased focus on the promotion of
therapeutic radiography to the professionals and public alike. As explained in the article, one
of the major challenging aspects of raising our public identity remains several and varied
titles we have since embraced across and within countries. Thus, an extremely crucial move
for our public image stood in the European Federation of Radiographer Societies suggestion
to the European official agencies and authorities to utilise one professional title of
"radiographer" in every document alongside correspondences at the European level (Holmes
et al. 2010). Another reason for choosing this article is that it seeks to address the challenges

facing the recruitment and retention of therapeutic radiographers. This is an important part of
the course and module as the authors have acknowledged the need to recruit, retain students
and subsequently support their transition to the labour force. This article is also important
because it recognizes that most of the educations providers are currently at their maximum
capacity in regards to the clinical placement availability and suggests that we can only
expand the workforce if we engage in a radical re-think of the present clinical training model.
I believe this is important since it is a step towards addressing the need to expand the
workforce by therapeutic radiography in regards to the squeezed clinical placements. The
article has also acknowledged that restrictions on the availability of placements of therapeutic
radiograph whereby main cancer Page 72 of t7 project also focuses on the identification of
barriers to entry amongst the male students which will effectively open up a novel source of
hiring for the future (Vigstol and Skoien 2011). In regards to how I intend to apply the
knowledge gained from this article to enhance my future clinical teaching and learning
practice, this article reveals what PED needs to emphasize to their students to ensure lower
attrition and high retention. To boost my teaching and learning practice, I always emphasize
that therapeutic radiography remains an emotionally demanding profession that requires
students to showcase heightened empathy and compassion towards patients in one of the
most susceptible phases of their lives. I will teach my students about the strategies to create
therapeutic relationships when dealing with cancer patients (Rodger et al. 2011b). This will
help me encourage my student to stay in the profession since such a special caring
relationship with their patients is often cited by leaners as one of the major reasons they select
the radiography profession. Thus, I will prepare my students early enough since I have
identified the significance of compassion satisfaction alongside the risk of compassion
fatigue in students as the considerations making learners to re-consider their career selection.
Conclusion/Summary

I have also demonstrated the extent to which my understanding and knowledge of
professional competence has been enhanced. I have further illustrated how the components of
the course have influenced my understanding of the strategies for learning and teaching. I
have further shown the extent to which the strategies and models have been improved
previously in my practice. I have also shown how I intend to revise my approach to enhance
my capacity to effectively support, educate, and mentor students. I have also illustrated how
practice placement experience influence recruitment and retention of therapeutic
radiographers. The whole process has helped me in working more on my professional
development. I have understood different strategies for teaching and learning through this
course for example, taking feedbacks from students on regular basis, understanding their
preferred learning styles etc. I have also understood the challenges of hiring and retaining
therapeutic radiotherapist and radiographers as a part of the content of the Practice Education
and Mentorship Module. Moreover, I have also identified the significance of compassion
satisfaction alongside the risk of compassion fatigue in students as the considerations making
learners to re-consider their career selection.

References:
Akbulutº, S., Cakabay, B., Sevincº, M.M. and Basak, F., 2011. Therapeutic Challenge for
Surgeons. Hepato-Gastroenterology, 58, p.590.
Zheng, S., Rosson, M.B., Shih, P.C. and Carroll, J.M., 2015, February. Understanding student
motivation, behaviors and perceptions in MOOCs. In Proceedings of the 18th ACM conference on
computer supported cooperative work & social computing (pp. 1882-1895). ACM.
Baeten, M., Kyndt, E., Struyven, K. and Dochy, F., 2010. Using student-centred learning
environments to stimulate deep approaches to learning: Factors encouraging or discouraging their
effectiveness. Educational Research Review, 5(3), pp.243-260.