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JRCERT Update
Student Supervision in the Clinical Setting
Leslie Winter, MS, R.T.(R)
Julia Works, JD
edical imaging and radiation therapy edu- review and approve the procedure and image.
cation programs require students to engage Students must be supervised directly during all
in clinical and didactic education. Because patient procedures; supervision of students over
Mstudents are still learning and have not closed-circuit monitors is not acceptable.
achieved practitioner status, it is imperative that they Medical dosimetry - The JRCERT defines direct
are supervised in the clinical setting to ensure patient supervision of medical dosimetry students as
safety and proper educational practice. This column supervision by a credentialed practitioner (eg, reg-
identifies the Joint Review Committee on Education in istered radiation therapist, credentialed medical
Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) Standards and physicist, licensed radiation oncologist) during all
Objectives that address supervision of students in the aspects of procedures with direct patient contact.
clinical setting, associated legal implications, and some The credentialed practitioner reviews the pro-
best practices for enforcing and monitoring student cedure in relation to the student’s achievement,
supervision policies. evaluates the condition of the patient in relation
to the student’s knowledge, is physically present
Direct Supervision during the procedure, and reviews and approves
The following are definitions and explanations for the procedure. In addition, a credentialed practi-
student supervision for each discipline : tioner must approve dosimetry calculations and
1
Radiography and magnetic resonance - Students treatment plans before the plans are implemented.
must be supervised directly until competency is
achieved. The JRCERT defines direct supervi- Indirect Supervision
sion of students as supervision by a qualified Indirect supervision promotes patient safety and
radiographer or magnetic resonance technolo- proper educational practices while allowing for student
gist who reviews the procedure in relation to the performance to progress in the clinical setting. The
student’s achievement, evaluates the condition JRCERT defines indirect supervision for radiography
of the patient in relation to the student’s knowl- and magnetic resonance as supervision provided by a
edge, is physically present during the procedure, qualified radiographer or magnetic resonance technolo-
and reviews and approves the procedure and the gist who is immediately available to assist students,
image. regardless of the level of student achievement. The
Radiation therapy - The JRCERT defines direct phrase, immediately available, is interpreted as the
supervision of students as supervision by a physical presence of a qualified radiographer or mag-
qualified practitioner (eg, registered radiation netic resonance technologist adjacent to the room or
therapist, credentialed medical physicist, licensed location where a radiography or magnetic resonance
radiation oncologist) during all aspects of patient student is performing a procedure. This availability
procedures. The qualified practitioner must be applies to all areas where ionizing radiation and mag-
physically present during the procedure and netic resonance equipment is in use on patients.
RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY, November/December 2018, Volume 90, Number 2 209
Reprinted with permission from the American Society of Radiologic Technologists for educational purposes. ©2019. All rights reserved.
