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JRCERT Update

Schmidt

radiographer when repeating unsatisfactory images.” visit, the site visit team will provide a verbal overview
The program response might be: of their findings, which is shared with the program and
administration during the program exit summation.
Students in the radiography program are directly The program is responsible for arranging lodging
supervised during all repeat examinations and and transportation for the site visitors, who usually
procedures. This information is documented on arrive the day before the visit. Site visitors will require
program repeat examination logs (see examples of transportation to and from the airport to the hotel, and
completed student repeat examination logs, exhibit to and from the hotel to the school. Some members
4.A). All students must submit weekly repeat logs per
program policy (see Repeat Policy, exhibit 4.B). Every of the site visit team might have to stay an additional
year, all clinical instructors and staff are made aware evening, depending on the time of the exit summation,
of the policy and must sign off that they have reviewed travel time from the campus to the airport, and avail-
the policy (see signature pages, clinical instructors and able flight times.
staff, all clinical settings, exhibit 4.C).
Preparing for the Visit
Responding to each standard and the correspond- Program directors have options for how they choose
ing objectives in a similar fashion provides consistency, to prepare for the site visit, and these options can allow
clarity, and creates a vision of the program. The for an organized and congruent site visit. Although not
assumption exists that program directors know their required, it is recommended that program directors
program, but it is important to remember that the notify clinical instructors from the sites the JRCERT
JRCERT and the site visit team do not. Therefore, selected (listed in the site visitor assignment letter) and
clearly drafted narratives with corresponding exhibits stress to them the critical nature of the clinical affili-
create a vision and map of the program. ation involvement during the 2-day visit. In addition,
Once the self-study is submitted, the JRCERT staff program directors also should discuss the upcoming
reviews the narrative response, supporting documenta- visit with students and explain their role in accredita-
tion, and any additionally requested information. tion. While on campus, the site visit team requires a
private space to work, with internet access, a printer, a
Site Visit Assignment Letter phone, access to the program documents that will be
The site visit assignment letter provides the program reviewed, and a room to conduct interviews. Moreover,
director with site visit details, including the: all program faculty must be available during the entire
ƒ number of site visitors visit should the site visit team have questions.
ƒ clinical settings the site visit team will assess
ƒ clinical instructors or their representatives who During the Visit
must be available for on campus interviews (or via The site visit team, considered the eyes and ears of
conference call if they are in clinical settings that the JRCERT, will report their findings to the JRCERT
are more than 60 miles away) through a site visit report. In addition to covering all of
Students from the clinical settings also must be avail- the Standards and corresponding objectives, including
able for interviews; such interviews can take place on indicating areas of noncompliance, the report:
campus, at a representative clinical site, or held via con- ƒ provides guidance to the program
ference call. ƒ identifies the areas where the program is not in
The site visitor team chair will develop an agenda compliance with the Standards
with the program director. The agenda should be final- ƒ provides suggestions for improvement
ized 2 weeks before the visit and, once approved by all ƒ points out program strengths
parties, submitted to the JRCERT office. During the During the visit, the site visit team will tour the cam-
visit, the site visit team uses the Standards as their guide pus, program resources, classrooms, student common
when reviewing the program. Before completion of the areas, and other key areas. Team members will spend

RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY, March/April 2019, Volume 90, Number 4 425
Reprinted with permission from the American Society of Radiologic Technologists for educational purposes. ©2019. All rights reserved.