Page 139 - JRCERT Update Articles

JRCERT Update

Eatmon

unique qualities they desire the program’s graduates to Box 1
possess. Continuous quality improvement via assess- Possible Statements for a Program to Consider
ment is the only way to determine whether goals are Clinical Competence
being met, and if not, what changes should be made to Our graduates:
improve the program.
 Are able to competently run a general radiography room.
Desirable Skills, Attitudes, and Behaviors  Take quality general radiographs in multiple settings.
 Select appropriate scans and protocols.
Considering the 4 goal areas, there are many desirable
skills, attitudes, and behaviors for the graduate. Box 1 Critical Thinking
contains possible statements a program might consider Our graduates:
depending on its goals. These are not necessarily SLOs,  Adapt to new procedures, technologies, and situations.
but merely statements a program might make regarding  Identify errors and can provide suggestions for correction.
the characteristics graduates could demonstrate in rela-  Participate actively in quality assurance and safety
tion to each goal. With further refinement, these state- procedures.
ments can become the basis for SLOs.  Provide appropriate resources to meet patient needs.
These statements are absent of any reference to Professionalism
scores or pass rates on the credentialing examination or Our graduates:
completion of specific classroom or laboratory assign-  Are reliable and ethical.
ments. Although all graduates are expected to pass the  Participate in continuous learning.
national credentialing exam, it is a minimum expecta-  Are actively involved in professional presentations at the
tion and does not demonstrate a graduate’s ability to local, state, and national levels.
function with entry-level skills in the clinical setting.  Conduct research to expand knowledge of the profession.
The JRCERT Standards require that programs collect  Have exemplary attitudes and behavior toward patients.
and report credentialing examination pass rates as one
measure to assure program effectiveness. With regard Communication
to specific classroom or laboratory assignments— Our graduates:
unless a program determines, for example, that it is  Use appropriate medical terminology.
vital the graduate be skilled at presentations using  Appropriately discuss care strategies for adverse effects with
patients under treatment.
PowerPoint software—developing and gathering data  Gather accurate patient histories.
for this attribute provides less than meaningful assess-  Discuss procedures with patients in a manner appropriate
ment data for the program.
to the patient’s age, gender, ethnicity, and general ability to
understand.
Differentiation
To create differentiation, the program and the
respective communities of interest should focus on
a unique set of values that is well-integrated into  Professional activities.
the curriculum. For example, a program might state  Adaptability.
something similar to the following in reference to its  Community service.
values.
Each value is well-communicated to students because
In addition to meeting the learning outcomes, our the topic is reinforced in almost every class and evalu-
students will be identified by their demonstration of ated throughout the program.
excellence in regard to:
 Competence in addressing cultural diversity. Putting It All Together
 Excellence in patient care. Once a program is clear on the skills, attitudes,
 Technical expertise. behaviors, and values associated with the ideal graduate,

RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY, July/August 2015, Volume 86, Number 6 679
Reprinted with permission from the American Society of Radiologic Technologists for educational purposes. ©2019. All rights reserved.