Almost a Year

image source

This week I have been qualified and working as a Therapeutic Radiographer for ten months. Time has flown by and the past few weeks I have found myself helping third year students prepare for their first interviews.  Has it really been a year since I was preparing for my Band 5 interviews?  Another topic of conversation on a recent lunch with one of the third years was the transition to being qualified.  This was something I asked several radiographers about as I prepared to start my first job.  However as much as they told me it was different, a nice different was a term many used and to prepare for being really tired to begin with, I wasn't prepared for not being given regular feedback.  After three years of having regular feedback and planning sessions with my annual mentor aswell as radiographers offering feedback on set and my clinical lecturer being there to offer support and feedback, as a newly qualified member of staff you can feel a little lost.  Whilst I appreciate that as a qualified member of staff I shouldn't need regular feedback, but this is my advisory for those heading towards to transition.  Be prepared to no longer have regular feedback sessions.  As everyone said to me when I mentioned it. don't panic, if I was doing something wrong I would be told!

So ten months in and I feel settled, but am ready for new challenges.  A natural progression is to start considering what I need to be able to do to consider applying for a Band 6 role.  Pushing myself a little harder, expanding my knowledge and trying to problem solve more. Next up on the agenda is deciding which postgrad study to complete,with a meeting this week to look at options with my manager.  With an idea of where I want to be in the next five years or so, I am hoping we can find post grad options to suit. Just beacuse I was older when I qualified does not mean I don't have plans! Finally a new challenge is about to begin as last Friday I was voted in as the departments SCoR Learning Representative.  Already full of ideas I am excited to see what myself and the team can achieve as I take on this role.  This is one of the many reasons I chose radiography, so that I could continue to learn, regularly taking on new challenges.  Bring it on!

Until next time, take care.
Zoe
xo

What Does A Therapeutic Radiographer Really Do?

This is a question I get asked alot, people seem genuinely intrigued by my new career choice.  Many assume I am a nurse specialising in something or more often a diagnostic radiographer.  Well I thought it was about time I explained the what I do as therapeutic radiographer and why it is very different to my collegues role in diagnostic radiography. Whether you or a member of your family has ever had to have an xray, a CT or MRI scan, you would have met a diagnostic radiographer.  Their role is similar yet very different to mine and they can be found in several departments in the hospital, however you will only find therapeutic radiographers in the oncology department.

Radiotherapy is a key and often primary treatment for many types of cancer.  Using targeted megavoltage xrays we kill tumour cells, pinpointing treatment within millimetres to avoid damaging normal tissue.  This is a very simple explanation and my training has included whole modules on radiation physics and how the treatment works biologically as well as how the machines work. My role is varied but very specialised as theraputic radiographers plan and deliver treatment as well as managing patients side effects throughout treatment.  From the first visit to the radiotherapy department for a planning CT scan, to a patients treatment plan being created and then actually delivering the treatment, no two days are ever the same.  When I qualify I will quite possibly become more specialised in either pre-treatment or treatment, as this seems the normal path in most departments. 

One the best parts of my job is that I get to know the patients, seeing them every day for four to seven weeks.  Over that time you get to know them, can help them on days when treatment is taking its toll, to just being there to ask if they are ok or greeting them with a smile.  This is the reason I chose therapeutic over diagnostic radiography, I wanted to be able to offer continuity of care.  Although people often wonder if my job is depressing, cancer isn't normally a cheery subject.  Yet I can assure you my job is far from depressing, patients amaze me every day, just because they have cancer it doesn't mean they lose their sense of humour. They are incredible with the way they cope and their determination is inspiring.  Admittedly there are some days that are tough, but I didn't go into this job because it was easy, I chose it because I wanted to care for people.  

So there is a little insight in to the role of a therapeutic radiographer. In the next few weeks I will write in  more detail about the actual degree course, just incase any of you are considering a career change.  In the meantime you can find out more about the role of a therapeutic radiographer on the Society of Radiographers website and find out more about radiotherapy on the Cancer Research website.

Until next time, take care.

Zoe

xo