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Program Information

The A.A.S. Radiography Program is a five-semester, full-time program beginning in the fall semester of each year. All classes and labs are held face-to-face at the downtown campus and the clinical education component of the program is conducted in various hospitals and other medical facilities in Wilmington and the surrounding area. Program graduates are eligible to apply to take the national examination administered by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists for certification and registration as medical radiographers.

Employment

Graduates of JRCERT accredited programs are eligible to apply to take the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists’ national examination for certification and registration as Radiographers. This certification provides many opportunities for gainful employment. Program graduates generally work in radiology departments in hospitals, clinics, and physicians’ offices. The hospital offers a wide variety of subspecialties including orthopedics, mammography, operating room, and trauma areas. The starting average hourly wage will be based on the facility type, shift and workload. The range could be $20.00 – $29.00 per hour.

Technical Standards

Critical Thinking

Standard: Critical Thinking ability sufficient for problem solving and clinical judgment.

Examples of Necessary Activities (Not all Inclusive):

  • Identify cause and effect relationships in clinical situations
  • Anticipate what the next steps would be to reduce patient discomfort and increase exam efficiency
  • Assess risks and provide for patient safety
  • Ability to multitask and prioritize
  • Make effective decisions quickly
  • Ability to recognize private medical records
Interpersonal

Standard: Interpersonal abilities to interact with individuals, families, and groups from a variety of social, emotional, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds.

Examples of Necessary Activities (Not all Inclusive):

  • Ability to make direct eye contact while: (a) introducing self to patients/family, (b) explaining exam to patient and (c) speaking with other medical staff.
  • Ability to accept and apply constructive criticism from clinical instructors, physicians, and other staff members.
  • Be personable and smile when in conversations
Communication

Standard: The ability to speak, hear, and observe patients is necessary.

Examples of Necessary Activities (Not all Inclusive):

  • Communicate clearly, both orally and in writing, with the patient, patient’s family, clinical personnel, and others in order to obtain or disseminate information relevant to patient care and work duties.
  • Read and correctly carry out written instructions given on requisitions, treatment charts, notes, and other records.
  • Understand and correctly carry out oral instructions given by instructors and clinical personnel in the special procedures suite or operating room setting where all personnel are wearing surgical masks.
  • Provide clear positioning instructions in a tone and voice level that all patients can hear and understand.
  • Fluently be able to explain exams, procedures and processes in the English language.
  • Be able to listen to instructions
  • Read and follow all program, clinical site and college policies
Mobility

Standard: Physical abilities sufficient to move throughout facilities and within small spaces to provide effective client care.

Examples of Necessary Activities (Not all Inclusive):

  • Reach, manipulate, and operate radiographic and fluoroscopic equipment, which is above shoulder level (about 6 feet off the floor).
  • Walk the equivalent of 5 miles daily at work
  • Range of motion to sufficiently reach across a stretcher or exam table.
  • Move around in patient rooms, bathrooms, & treatment areas
  • Push/position mobile x-ray machines and surgical equipment into operating rooms and patient rooms including backing up into small areas and be able to move machines in non-routine positions in confined spaces.
  • Stand, squat, reach above shoulder level.
  • Lift and carry at least 30 pounds of weight to safety transport and use ancillary equipment (imaging plates, sandbags, hip positioners, slide boards) when performing radiologic procedures.
  • Safely push and pull patients to/from bed, stretcher, table and wheelchair with assistance from departmental staff.
Motor Skills

Standard: Good manual dexterity, motor skills and eye hand coordination are necessary.

Examples of Necessary Activities (Not all Inclusive):

  • Ability to move the Bucky and x-ray tube while positioning patient without affecting patient care.
  • Caring for patient’s medical equipment (bedpans, IV’s, Chest tubes, and ventilators)
Hearing

Standard: Auditory ability sufficient to monitor and assess client needs and maintain facility safety.

Examples of Necessary Activities (Not all Inclusive):

  • Hear radiation alarms, x-ray equipment alarms, monitor alarms, emergency signals, and auscultatory sounds
  • Hear patient’s cries for help
  • Hear telephone communications
  • Take accurate and detailed patient history
  • Hear physician’s instructions
  • Listen for equipment malfunctions
Visual

Standard: The ability to see fine detail is necessary.

Examples of Necessary Activities (Not all Inclusive):

  • Function in a dimly lit work environment
  • Ability to detect small details
  • Ability to distinguish and colors and shades of gray correctly.
  • Correctly read technique charts, read/select correct exposure factors at control consoles, and read/set correct distances on radiographic equipment and fluoroscopic towers.
  • Evaluate radiographs for technical quality including visual perception of density levels, contrast levels, evidence of distortion, and evaluation of minute structural details for evidence of blur.
  • Observe changes in patient’s skin color for emergency responses.
  • Read labels on contrast media and equipment displays
  • Distinguish normal anatomy versus pathology
  • Understand right versus left side of body
Tactile

Standard: Tactile ability sufficient for physical assessment in imaging departments.

Examples of Necessary Activities (Not all Inclusive):

  • Perform palpation when finding bony landmarks
  • Physically touch patients while standing or on table to properly place in position
  • Distinguish bony anatomy from soft tissue
Emotional

Standard: Emotional stability sufficient to maintain composure in stressful situations.

Examples of Necessary Activities (Not all Inclusive):

  • Interact appropriately with peers, patients and supervisors at all times, including high stress
  • Receive corrective feedback calmly
  • Demonstrate mental alertness in day-to-day interactions with patients, visitors, staff and peers in high stress/pressure situations in the radiologic environment.
Observation

Standard: The ability to observe the patient and any environmental activity is necessary.

Examples of Necessary Activities (Not all Inclusive):

  • Monitor equipment/background sounds during equipment operation and report unusual or abnormal sounds to the appropriate person.
  • Visually monitor patients for retention of correct position, correct breathing, motion or evidence of physical/emotional distress during performance of radiologic procedures, including in dimly lit rooms.
  • Monitor and evaluate the vital signs of a patient including the taking of temperatures and reading standard
Environmental

Standard: Ability to tolerate environmental stressors.

Examples of Necessary Activities (Not all Inclusive):

  • Standing all day without the opportunity to sit down
  • Work in areas with blood and other body fluids
  • Work in areas with patients who have communicable diseases
  • Work in loud areas
  • Work in areas that are confined or crowded
  • Work in surgical, emergency, and acute care settings
  • Wear lead aprons, protective glasses/gowns, and face masks for several hours
  • Be able to adapt to changing schedules and assignments

Health Sciences Division Student Appeal Procedures

Preclinical, Clinical, Fieldwork or Laboratory Appeal
A student who is dismissed by faculty from the program due to unsatisfactory or unsafe Preclinical, Clinical, Fieldwork or Laboratory performance during the course of the semester, or who receives an end of semester unsatisfactory clinical evaluation/ final grade must meet with the faculty to appeal the dismissal. If the dismissal stands, the student may appeal as directed to the Program Director or Associate Director of the program.

Procedure for Preclinical, Clinical, Fieldwork or Laboratory Appeals:

  1. The student will request the Preclinical, Clinical, Fieldwork and Laboratory Appeal form from the respective course faculty and Program Director/Associate Director via email within 24 hours of dismissal.
  2. Once the email request for an appeal has been received, the Program Director/Associate Director will send the appeal form to the student via Softdocs.
  3. The student must complete the Appeal form via Softdocs within two college working days of receipt.
  4. Within two college working days of receiving the appeal form, the program director will schedule an appeal hearing with the student, the respective course instructor(s), and the Program Director/Associate Director. The date, time, and location of the scheduled appeal hearing will be included in the Softdocs correspondence sent to the student. The hearing will be held on campus.

The student will not be allowed to make any changes or additions to the original documentation throughout the appeal process. The appeal hearing will proceed even if the student is not present for the scheduled hearing.

It is the student’s responsibility to check their CFCC email for communication regarding the appeal. There will be more than one correspondence that will be sent via email that will require the student’s attention and will need to be submitted to the course instructor and Program Director/Associate Director.

For patient safety, the student may attend didactic classes, but not preclinical, clinical, fieldwork, or laboratory sessions while the student appeal is being reviewed via the appeals process.

Following the appeal hearing, the Program Director/Associate Director will make a decision regarding the appeal. The Program Director/Associate Director will email the student within two college working days of the scheduled hearing with the final appeal decision. The decision of the Program Director/Associate Director is final.

Grievance Procedure & Grade Appeal

For any grievance or grade appeal, other than those related to Preclinical, Clinical, Fieldwork or Laboratory matters, the student should follow the Right of Appeal or Grade Appeal process as outlined in the CFCC COLLEGE AND STUDENT HANDBOOK.

If unsatisfied with the result from the CFCC Due Process Procedure, any student wishing to file a grievance with the JRCERT has that ability if the grievance pertains to one of the Standards. The JRCERT Grievance Procedure steps are:

1. See Student Resources/Allegations on the JRCERT website www.jrcert.org

2. All inquiries can be forwarded to:

JRCERT
20 North Wacker Drive, Suite 2850
Chicago, IL 60606-3182
Phone: 312-704-5300 , Fax: 312-704-5304
Email: mail@jrcert.org

3. No student will be subject to unfair actions as a result of initiating a complaint proceeding.

GRADING SYSTEM

The Radiography program will follow the 8-point grading scale as outlined below.
A grade of “C” or better is required in all Radiography Core courses for the student to continue in the program. All RAD courses are co-requisites to each other, so if a student fails the clinical practicum before the end of the semester, they must withdraw from all other RAD classes in which they are currently enrolled.

A course may be repeated only once and all Radiography courses must be taken in sequence. A passing grade is required in all the General Education courses. If a general education course is failed with a “D” during the progression of the program the student must withdraw from all RAD courses currently enrolled.

Students will be evaluated by different methods in the program to determine competence of skills. These will include tests, quizzes, hands-on lab assessments, and clinical skills. All tests must be passed or a repeat will occur. These grade requirements are set in place to make sure competence of skills and course objectives have been met prior to working with patients.

A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or “C” is required for each semester to progress in the program.

CLASSROOM GRADING SYSTEM
CLINICAL GRADING SYSTEM
100 – 92% = A “Above average” 100 – 92% = A “Above average”
91 – 84% = B “Average” 91 – 84% = B “Average”
83 – 76% = C “Below average” 83 – 76% = C “Below average”
Below 76% = “Failure” Below 76% = “Failure”
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