Personal Profile of Skill Acquisition in Medical Imaging Portfolio

This portfolio assignment, submitted for the MSc Medical Imaging Advanced Practice course, focuses on the development of practical knowledge through work-based learning. The student reflects on their skill acquisition and development, specifically highlighting experiences during an internship and as a diagnostic radiographer. The document explores the importance of practical application of theoretical knowledge, emphasizing the acquisition of skills such as equipment operation, patient interaction, organizational abilities, and maintaining confidentiality. The assignment underscores the value of work-based learning in augmenting theoretical understanding and enhancing professional capabilities within the medical imaging field. The student demonstrates the ability to apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios and improve patient care.

MSc Medical Imaging
Advanced Practice – Negotiated Independent Work-Based learning
(Course work - Portfolio)
“Personal Profile of Skill Acquisition or Development of Practical Knowledge as a
Consequence of Independent Work-Based Learning”
Total words: 2000
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Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction......................................................................................................................3
2.0 Work-Based Learning......................................................................................................4
3.0 Personal Profile of Skill Acquisition................................................................................6
3.1 Internship......................................................................................................................6
3.2 Diagnostic Radiographer..............................................................................................7
4.0 Conclusion........................................................................................................................9
References............................................................................................................................10
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1.0 Introduction
There are tremendous job opportunities in the present day, like health worker, actor,
carer, animal attendant, technician, farmer or worker, in diverse domains (career profiles,
2019). Several universities and educational institutions are providing an extensive array of
educational courses to meet the growing demands of the job market like Harvard University,
Stanford University (Granovetter, 2018). However, having a degree from a reputed university
is not enough; practical knowledge needs to be acquired when individuals work in the
industry (Frey & Osborne, 2017). There has been an increase in the number of universities
that attempt to augment conventional learning with work-based learning by collaborating
with leading organisations (Ryan & Deci, 2016).
Apart from this, the kind of up-skilling that is required has also witnessed a massive
change like they have gathered the capabilities to take up responsibilities and execute them.
Though particular professional, technical and administrative capabilities continue to play a
significant role in career development (Lu, Sun & Du, 2016). Other interventions help
individuals to acquire specialised skills relevant to the workplace and provide knowledge that
is required to execute professional responsibilities (Eddy, 2010). From a socio-economic
viewpoint, it does not make sense to facilitate up-skilling at a purely instrumental level. There
is a growing need for individuals to be in a position to define and develop specific
capabilities that they might require to execute their professional responsibilities in the future
(Morgan et al., 2016). At an individual level, those individuals who are known to execute
roles that revolve around management and paraprofessional are attempting to claim
additional responsibility for their careers and their workplaces.This eventually results in a
general requirement for capabilities related to self-direction and self-management (Chapman
& Hammond, 2013). The notion of workers as practitioners, for holding a commitment that is
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personal as compared to the work that has been entrusted to them and a perception of their
careers and roles that might be wider as compared to the scope that has been extended by any
individual employer, is tending to be specifically opposite.
This paper essentially outlines the development of practical knowledge as an outcome of
independent work-based learning of individual workers. The paper will outline the learning
acquired based on work carried out in the medical domain, radiology in particular.
2.0 Work-Based Learning
Work-based learning can be defined rationally as any kind of learning that occurs at
the workplace or might arise during executing responsibilities at a workplace. Learning of
such kind is never actually certified nor is this kind of learning acknowledged formally
(Kyndt et al., 2016). From an argumentative point of view, it can be said that this kind of
learning should be acknowledged and certified (Lemanski et al., 2011). Learning acquired at
the workplace happens to be a usual facet in terms of individual development.Learning also
involves resolving problems as a response to particular issues that are associated with the
workplace. Learning in such scenarios can occur directly on the job or through training that is
provided to the workforce by organisations (Fischer et al., 2018). Work-based learning can
often overlap with continuous professional development butis not exclusive to this. (Boud &
Middleton, 2003). More often, work-based learning is informal, might not be planned,
unexpected as well as retrospective. At the same time, it can also occur in a planned manner
where on the job training is provided by the employer (Baker, Cathcart & Peach, 2017). This
happens to be organized by the individual learner or external third parties such as educational
institutions or private bodies. Learning is usually beyond the scope of what institutes of
higher education provides where learning is restricted to books and syllabus. However, it can
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be improved and recognised with the involvement of higher educational institutions
(Lemanski et al., 2010).
Previous research conducted in the past by Hirsh (2007), Eraut et al. (2003) with
regards to work-based learning revealed that learning most valuable and effective for
individuals at the workplace.This largely refers to learning that takes place based on work or
is stimulated as a response to particular issues at the workplace in contrast to off-job
programs or formal training (Morley, Ablett & Stenhouse, 2019). This type of learning has
the potential to be purely instrumental, it also aims to be developmental when it is associated
with a purpose that is valued by the individual and is engaged in a manner that is effective
and critical and helps in executing responsibilities of the workplace (Hartley, 2019). In
response to this, a trend has been observed amongst various higher educational
institutions.The domain of the workplace to certify and improve authentic work-based
learning that is largely individually driven (Scott et al., 2004). This is an opposite statement
for providing or facilitating approaches that are well-established in terms of training and
education in a work-based setting.
Lastly, it would also make sense to mention that ‘work' under the category of work-
based learning does not essentially mean that the work is paid. Work can be of any kind or it
could also be an activity with a purpose that has the scope for providing a learning
opportunity (Gessler, 2017). Work can be community based or voluntary and would also
comprise of taking care of family members or others in a manner which is thoroughly
informal or it might also be associated with leisure and domestic initiatives. The perspective
of work is different for every individual(Chisholm & Davis, 2007).
3.0 Personal Profile of Skill Acquisition
3.1 Internship
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Having acquired certification to operate as a Radiology Technologist, I was equipped
with theoretical knowledge to execute the tasks that were expected of me. However, as an
intern I did not have much of individual responsibilities like practical tasks nor was I required
to operate the equipment. My key responsibilities were to assist the senior radiologist and
technologist in their tasks.
As mentioned above, though I was not required to directly operate the equipment or
undertake the magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography scanning of patients, as
an intern I had a learning opportunity of the use and principles of the equipment(Cheong et
al., 2014). My role as an intern warranted me to prep the equipment, identify the patients who
were scheduled for X-Ray, CT, and MRIs and guiding them to the scanning center in an
orderly manner. With my limited scope of work, in terms of prepping up the equipment and
assisting the senior radiologist and technologist, I was able to understand the working
principle of the equipment, what was required to be done and what was not required to be
done. Also, I learned by observing the senior radiologist and technologist the steps used to
proceed with the equipment. The radiologist thought would be presented with the case file of
the patient, would still opt to acquire first-hand information from patients by probing them
with questions with regards to their ailment, history. This I found to be particularly
enlightening as several times patients would often state conditions or problems that would not
be present in their case files. I realised that this line of questioning narrows down the scope of
our work and helps us to particularly focus on areas that need to be looked into. For instance,
a patient had approached the center for a CT scan of the abdomen but his file did not mention
the disease or the need for a scan. The scan, however, was supposed to be focused largely on
the pancreas. Upon probing the patient revealed that he was suffering from pancreatitis.
Armed with this knowledge, the technologist knew what he had to look for. As an intern, I
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learned an important lesson, to ask questions to patients regarding their health history and
sufferings related to the issue.
3.2 Diagnostic Radiographer
When engaged as a diagnostic radiographer I not only learned about operating the
equipment and doing it on my own but also acquired other work-based learning (Zorn et al.,
2019). One aspect that I observed during my role as a diagnostic radiographer that several
patients came to the center because they were suffering from some ailment that had not yet
been diagnosed (Bezuidenhout, 2015). So they came for the tests to be conducted. While
others came periodically to the center to get scans done to learn about the progress of their
treatment. Now, these patients are well-versed with the modalities and operating procedures
while undergoing a scan and they are quite comfortable (Titmarsh, 2018). However, it is the
first time visitors to the center who happened to be apprehensive. These were patients who
had never undergone an MRI or CT scan done in the past and they had several questions
(Robertson, 2019). Further, when they walked into the scanning room they would be
intimidated by a huge scanning machine. There was an instance when a patient panicked in
the middle of the scan and we had to stop the process, calmhim down, and then resume the
scan all over again (Evans, 2016). From that instance, I realised that it was imperative to
understand the state of the patient. With my previous learning from the internship where I
learned to interrogate patients regarding their health issues, I would meet the patients
scheduled for scanning and brief them in general about the process (Hayre, 2016). I would
ensure that I communicate with the patients effectively and explain the whole process to them
and also allay any fears they might have with regards to the process on the whole.
Another skill I developed and learned on the job and were organisation skills.
Working in a big diagnostic center, there was never any kind of shortage of patients who had
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to be processed each day (Buruck et al., 2016). There were many medical papers related to
their case history, doctor’s prescription with regards to the scan, films and soft copies were
required for the tests. Initially, it was tough and often led to confusion however; I learned to
categorize patients for MRIs and CT scans into groups (Roche et al., 2015). These two groups
were further segregated into sub-groups where patients were categorized as per the
type/region of scan and the date on which they arrived for scanning (Naidoo, 2016). Soft files
too were arranged similarly (Keyko et al., 2016). This made it very easy for me to pull up
records and to ensure that only the right films went to the right person. This skill is something
that cannot be learned at any university or college; you need to learn it on the job (Hayre,
2016).
Further, confidentiality was another aspect that I learned to maintain. There are
policies at the workplace wherein we have to ensure the patient's details are not revealed to
third parties, which is understood (Rubin & Babbie, 2016). However, what I was not prepared
for was patients' asking for information about their medical history. A particular patient who
was being scanned for abdominal cancer wanted to know what the scans revealed. While the
scan did indeed reveal a malignant tumor in the abdomen, I politely declined revealing the
information and instead asked him to contact his care provider to interpret the report.
4.0 Conclusion
Though theoretical knowledge is required to successfully execute a professional task
or responsibility, the challenge lies in effectively applying professional knowledge. As a
recruit, I did have theoretical knowledge but since I had experience in a similar field as an
intern, I had acquired work-based learning which helped me to augment my theoretical
knowledge with practical knowledge. Following my internship when I joined a full-time
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organization, I was in a better position to execute my responsibilities. I can conclusively say
that I was able to gain practical knowledge as an outcome of independent work-based
learning.
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