2 research outputs found
Optimax 2016 : peer observation of facilitation
In August 2016, a 3-week research Summer School
was delivered at University of Salford. The Summer
School, known as ‘OPTIMAX’ was in its fourth year
of delivery. Previous iterations were held in the
Netherlands (2015), Portugal (2014) and Salford (2013).
The purpose of OPTIMAX is to facilitate collaborative
international and interdisciplinary research between
university academics and students. This offers an
exceptional opportunity not only for students, but also
for tutors who want to develop their facilitation skills.
The project reported here used tutor observers
(i.e. tutors who attend the summer school, in an
observational capacity only, to develop their own
skills as teachers) to observe, identify and reflect on a
range of facilitation practices for managing the diverse
OPTIMAX research groups. The project presents
a description of the peer-observation method we
used and highlights a number of findings related
to facilitator strategies that appeared to influence
group dynamics and learning. These observations
are then used to make recommendations about how
OPTIMAX tutors can be prepared for their facilitation
experience
Alumni, radiographers, clinical placement tutors and industry insights about current radiographers practice, competences and autonomy in western Switzerland.
Radiographers' profession is constantly evolving, which demands adaptation of education and training programs to build up medical imaging and radiation therapy professionals (MIRTPs) that provide healthcare to improve patient experience and outcomes. This study aimed to map radiographers' practices, competences, and autonomy level in Western Switzerland.
Data was collected by 2 cross-sectional online surveys targeting Alumni, radiographers, clinical placement tutors and medical imaging equipment specialists from industry, with opened and closed-end questions. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used to analyse the data.
81 Alumni and 93 Chief-Radiographers, clinical tutors, practitioner-radiographers and industry answered the questionnaires. The competences considered as the most "acquired or completely acquired" by the Alumni were: adopt a reflective posture on practice (90.1 %; 73/81), adopt ethical behaviour (90.1 %; 73/81), carrying out and providing radiological services for diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive purposes (81.5 %; 68/81), adapting communication to the other surrounding persons (81.5 %; 66/81), and check compliance of procedures with standards (69.1 %; 56/81). Similar results were referred by Employers. The autonomy of the participant radiographers was considered as average, and it focuses only the preparation of the patient and the protocol optimisation. The development and integration of research is weak as well as the application of competences regarding professionalism.
A better link between educational institutions and clinical practice can help on the integration of research and evidence-based on practice, necessary to progress the radiographers' profession in Western Switzerland. The autonomy needs to be further developed and leadership courses must be integrated in the curricula to facilitate the implementation of new approaches to reinforce radiographer's profession.
Practice must be revised to integrate evidence-based; to facilitate research development, the managers need to increase support