Radiologic Technology

Clinical Grading Information:

The final grade in clinical education courses will be scored as “S” satisfactory or “U” unsatisfactory. An “S” satisfactory grade in clinical includes both:

• An average of 80% in all procedures/assignments
• A “S” satisfactory in the leveled expected behaviors.

Students will receive percentage scores for clinical procedures and assignments using the following clinical grading scale:

Clinical Grading Scale

Percentage	Grade	Grade point
96-100	A	4.0
94-95	A-	3.7
92-93	B+	3.3
89-91	B	3.0
87-88	B-	2.7
84-86	C+	2.3
80-83	C	2.0
78-79	C-	1.7
76-77	D+	13
74-75	D	1.0
73	D-	.7
72	and below E	0

Students must receive a final score of 80% or above to be considered “S” satisfactory. Less than 80% is considered unsatisfactory. A score of less than 80% received on evaluations will need to be repeated. A student who fails 3 patient evaluations in a semester will be placed on Final Warning.

Clinical percentage grade is determined as follows:
Clinical Instructor SC4 Clinical Performance Evaluation = 20%
Clinical Instructor (site) or Technologist Clinical Performance Evaluation = 5%
Patient Evaluations =50%
Clinical Participation (Tallies) = 15%
Miscellaneous Clinical Evaluations = 10%

Students must receive an average of 80% on the above criteria to continue. In addition, students must receive “S” satisfactory performance on the leveled expected behaviors.

Leveled Behaviors are a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grade:
A score of satisfactory on all leveled behaviors must be achieved in order to pass the course. An unsatisfactory grade will cause the student to fail the clinical course and the student will be dismissed from the program.

Deadline for clinical assignments may vary. Deadlines will be announced at student meetings or sent to students via email.

Instructors have the right to determine certain grade point values in order to arrive at the grading specified by the program.

Certain behaviors are cited as critical. The profession of Radiologic Technology requires that all members maintain ethical standards, demonstrate integrity and honesty, and provide for the safety of patients. Thus, one serious failure or a pattern of failure to demonstrate these behaviors will result in an immediate failing grade of E for the course, regardless of the student’s previous and current level of demonstrated competency of all other course objectives.

Performance Objectives for Clinical Education

Site Clinical Objectives

Equipment Rotations: To familiarize the student with the different types of equipment used in the field of radiology. Ascension River District Hospital, McLaren Port Huron, Lake Huron Medical Center, Lake Huron Medical Center North, Henry Ford Macomb, McLaren Macomb, McKenzie Health System, Orthopedic Associates of Port Huron and Advanced Orthopedics are assigned clinical sites. Students are expected to have their own dependable transportation to clinical sites. Students may be expected to travel between clinical sites for clinical instruction with the SC4 clinical instructor.

Special Imaging Modality Rotations – Provides the student general information in Nuclear Medicine, Ultrasonography, CT scanning, vascular imaging, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Students have the opportunity to explore these fields and may consider pursuing the additional training required.

Off-Shift Clinical Rotations – Students will participate on weekend rotations. Students will be scheduled for a limited number of weekend rotations. Students will be given clinical days off during the week to compensate for assigned weekend clinical days. Students will be assigned limited afternoon rotations.

General Radiography Clinical Objectives

• Gain clinical experience on exams required by the ARRT.
• Gain clinical experience with trauma exams.
• Demonstrate clinical participation in exams that are ordered infrequently.
• Demonstrate ability to manipulate a wide variety of radiology equipment.
• Demonstrate ability to adapt routine exams in difficult or non-routine situations.
• Gain knowledge in off-shift rotation protocols and procedures.
• Develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Develop patient care skills with various patient conditions.
• Demonstrate communication and computer information skills.
• Demonstrate knowledge of standard precautions and infection control procedures.
• Display appropriate dress, ethics, and professionalism.
• Work on improvements of efficiency and speed of exams.
• Gain clinical experience with age-appropriate care of patients.

Weekend Rotation Prerequisites

• Complete all equipment evaluations assigned.
• Complete all miscellaneous rotation evaluations assigned.
• Complete all previous semester assignments.
• Complete all required patient evaluations from previous semester.
• Complete units in RAD 101 Introduction to Radiologic Technology and RAD 102 Patient Care on patient safety, patient assessment, infection control, patient acute situations, bedside radiography, and trauma.

Weekend Objectives

• Demonstrate the ability to transport patients to and from the floor when an orderly is not assigned or available.
• Demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively with ER during heavy volumes.
• Demonstrate the procedure when an ER patient is in need of being under close observation.
• Demonstrate what to do when a patient on the floor or from ER is brought down to the department without a name band.
• Demonstrate knowledge of what to do when equipment breaks down and where the number is to call for service.
• State how priority is determined when multiple cases come to the radiology department at once.
• Demonstrate using problem-solving with positioning skills when multiple exam cases are ordered. Take patient comfort into consideration.
• Demonstrate clinical participation in trauma cases.

Afternoon Rotation Prerequisites

• Complete all previous clinical assignments, clinical evaluations, and tally sheet requirements
• Complete Afternoon Review of Radiographic Exams.
• Provide documentation of personal technique book.
• Review trauma video at least one week before afternoon rotation begins.

Afternoon Objectives

• Morgue Participation with a Technologist (optional)
  • Demonstrate how to work with the morgue staff to complete exam.
  • Demonstrate clean and dirty technique with technologist.
  • Demonstrate protocol for labeling of films for proper ID.
  • Demonstrate practicing appropriate standard precautions.
  • State confidentiality issues involving morgue cases.
• OR Participation with a Technologist
  • Demonstrate proper attire in the OR.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of equipment location.
  • Demonstrate communication with OR staff for proper equipment placement.
  • Demonstrate proper standard precaution principles while in a sterile environment.
  • Demonstrate clinical participation with multiple types of OR cases.
• Trauma Radiography
  • Demonstrate obtaining appropriate history for spine and head trauma.
  • State the protocol for trauma c-spine.
  • Demonstrate cross-table lateral c-spine.
  • Demonstrate trauma oblique c-spine.
  • Demonstrate cross-table lateral lumbar spine.
  • Demonstrate problem-solving skills when imaging a fractured limb.
  • Demonstrate ability to identify puncture site for foreign body images.
  • Discuss knowledge of complications post cast application.
• Equipment Usage/Quality Checks
  • Demonstrate how to check the crash cart.
  • Demonstrate how to verify drug box checks.
  • Demonstrate verifying refrigerator temperature recording.
• Schedule Procedures
  • Discuss importance of review of fluoroscopy schedule for the next day.
  • Discuss importance of review of OR schedule for the next day.

Progressive Objectives for Afternoons and Weekends

Winter and Summer I Semesters- Freshman year

Students are to obtain active clinical participation in learned exams that have been performed with direct and indirect supervision according to student supervision guidelines. The student will be in an observation mode with all other exams.

Summer II and Fall Semesters – Sophomore year

Students are to build on their competency and confidence with radiographic exams. Students will take more of an active role with a larger variety of exams following appropriate student supervision guidelines.

Winter and Summer I Semesters – Sophomore year

Students will build on clinical experience with improvements in problem-solving and critical thinking skills, efficiency, speed and accuracy following appropriate student supervision guidelines.

Clinical Evaluation Rules

1. Students must complete simulated and/or phantom examinations in Positioning Lab class before patient evaluations may be done.
2. Students must perform an examination on an actual patient before evaluating. Rare examinations may be simulated on a fellow student (instructor’s discretion) using practice exam assignment documentation sheet.
3. Students should complete equipment clinical assignments before completing patient evaluations. It is recommended that an equipment check-off be completed prior to using room for patient evaluation for improved competency.
4. Clinical evaluations should be done with the SC4 Clinical Instructor when available. If the SC4 Instructor is not available, the Site Clinical Instructor or any Clinical Evaluators should be used.
5. Once the student begins an evaluation, the student must finish it, unless the Clinical Instructor or Evaluator decides otherwise. If the exam is canceled by the clinical instructor or evaluator, the canceled evaluation form must be completed.
6. Students are encouraged to complete evaluations early if they have the opportunity and are prepared.
7. A required number of evaluations have been set for each semester. That number of evaluations must be done before or during the semester in which they are assigned.
8. Circumstances surrounding evaluations not being completed during the semester will be reviewed and appropriate actions will be taken. Corrective action will be implemented as necessary. The student will be placed on clinical warning if two or more patient clinical evaluations are not completed two weeks before semester end. If the required patient clinical evaluations are not completed before the end of the semester, the student will receive a grade of U (unsatisfactory) for the clinical semester grade and will not be able to continue in the program.
9. Assigned equipment and miscellaneous evaluations not completed by the last clinical day of the semester will be considered failed evaluations. The score recorded will be a 0.
10. Failed evaluations must be repeated and a score of at least 80% must be obtained.
11. The original grade for a failed patient clinical evaluation will be recorded in the grade book. The patient clinical evaluation will have to be repeated with a passing score of 80% or higher and will be kept as documentation of competency. The repeat passing grade will not be recorded as part of the clinical grade. Repeat evaluations should be done with a clinical instructor if at all possible.
12. After a failed clinical patient evaluation, an incident form will be issued to the student. The student will be required to submit a written expression on how to improve/be successful utilizing the Clinical Performance Standards of the ASRT and the SC4 Conceptual Framework as a guideline. The written expression must be completed by the due date and before the repeat patient evaluation. If the assignment is not turned in by the due date, the clinical conduct policy will be followed.
13. During an evaluation, the evaluator has the option to immediately terminate the evaluation if 1) patient safety is compromised, 2) the student is unprepared for exam, or 3) the patient’s condition is deteriorating. The evaluation will be considered a failure or cancellation based on the cancelled/failed clinical evaluation form. A failed grade will be recorded as 70% and failed evaluation guidelines will be followed. Cancelled evaluations due to deteriorating patient condition will be repeated with no grade penalty.

Random Evaluations

1. To prepare the student for situations when patient difficulty cannot be chosen.
2. Time and evaluation will be selected by the clinical instructor.
3. Random evaluations will begin in the sophomore year and be progressive throughout the program.
4. Order of students will be randomly selected by the clinical instructor.
5. Any exam that the student has learned in the Radiographic Positioning course, tested on, or proven competency can be used as a random evaluation in the sophomore year.