What our students say

Learning it, living it

Placements are an essential part of our radiography programmes and provide students with a vital opportunity to put theory into practice. Students must complete almost a third of their learning (a minimum of 1000 hours) in clinical settings to apply for registration with the Health Professions Council.

Read the placement diaries of two of our undergraduate students:

• Martin Brewer, second year therapeutic radiography student
• Daniella Claxton, third year diagnostic radiography student

Martin Brewer, 26, a second year therapeutic radiography student, gives an insight into his experience on placement at the Royal Marsden Hospital in Chelsea.

“My day started half an hour earlier than usual as I was going to observe quality assurance checks on the treatment machines, which are done daily to ensure the machines are working accurately. I was shown how to check the movements of the machine and the couch, and then how the energies of the X-rays and the electron beams were checked, followed by the safety checks.

“The patients began to arrive and I had to prepare the couch for the first patient who was having radiotherapy to the breast. The radiographers then stood back while I positioned the patient on the couch and aligned her tattoos to the room lasers, and then moved the equipment so that the X-ray beam would treat the breast. The radiographers pushed me a lot throughout the day to get me used to setting up patients having radiotherapy to the breast, head and neck, prostate and vertebrae.

“During the afternoon I had the opportunity to sit in on a ‘first day chat’. The patient was told what was going to happen during treatment and then told about the reactions that may occur due to the radiotherapy. They were given lots of advice on how to minimise these reactions and take care of themself during treatment, and then the patient was given the opportunity to ask lots of questions. Sitting in on the chat was invaluable as I saw first hand how anxious and apprehensive patients were before starting their treatment.

“After a very busy day it was time for the cycle home, followed by a long, hot bath and some food!”

Daniella Claxton, 20, a third year diagnostic radiography student talks about her placement in an A&E department.

“The alarm clock shrills the beginning of another day. This week I'm working 8am-8pm shifts in the A&E department, which I know is going to be mentally and physically demanding. My clinical tutor recommends doing the 12 hour shift, as things tend to ‘liven-up’ after 5pm… Grabbing my bag, I leave for work.

“After a quick breakfast, I head downstairs to A&E X-ray. The radiographer is already there, taking over from the night shift. No examination requests have been sent through, and the printer sits quietly in the corner. However, the quiet doesn't last long and the printer springs into life and spits out the first request of the day. After reading the clinical indications and patient information, I have to decide how best to approach the situation and which radiographic views would be best to demonstrate the area of interest. Once sure of my intentions, I head off into the department in search of my patient.

“I poke my head around the curtain and introduce myself. After checking I have the right patient, I push the bed out of the cubicle towards the X-ray room. However, pushing beds is not a walk in the park. I always seem to get the trolley that has a mind of its own, and very quickly the A&E department turns into an obstacle course! A chest and abdomen X-ray later, it’s time to take the patient back…I return valiant, only to find more requests waiting and the printer whirring away in the background. The radiographers and I work away and X-ray a variety of requests ranging from rugby injuries, falls and DIY injuries to being knocked out by a horse. The morning passes quickly and soon it's time for lunch.

“I return at 1pm and my next patient is a child for an abdomen X-ray. Children are understandably nervous, no matter how many rhinos, elephants and monkeys have been painted on the X-ray room walls. We get onto the subject of Star Wars, as R2-D2 is emblazoned on his t-shirt. After much discussion, one abdomen X-ray has been obtained. The afternoon flies by and the next time I venture into the main waiting room it's dark outside. The night shift is arriving, signalling it’s time for me to leave.

“Even though the day was tiring, the experience gained with every patient makes you a more confident and competent student. Being placed in A&E, you never really know what to expect, and how mobile and willing your patient may be. I found the day rewarding, which is a good thing, considering I have got to do it all again tomorrow…”

 

What our students say:

• Why choose a radiography degree?
• If you like working with people and high-tech machines...
• Learning it, living it
• A well-rounded education
• Therapeutic radiography: a rewarding change of career
• A day in the life of a therapeutic radiography student
• Continuing your professional development

Our partnerships with a wide range of local employers enable us to offer student placements in a variety of highly regarded health and social care settings, including:

• Ashford & St Peters NHS Trust
• Chelsea & Westminster NHS Trust
• Epsom & St Helier NHS Trust
• Frimley Park NHS Trust
• Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children
• Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Trust
• Kingston Hospital NHS Trust
• Mayday University Hospital
• National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery
• St George’s Hospital
• The Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Trust
• The Royal Marsden Hospital
• The Royal Surrey County Hospital
• The West Middlesex NHS Trust
• Newham University Hospital NHS Trust