Radiographers' perceptions of their professional rights in diagnostic radiography: a qualitative interview study.

BACKGROUND: Considering the ethics of each profession is important as inter-professional collaboration increases. Professional ethics creates a basis for radiographers' work, as it includes values and principles, together with rights and duties that guide and support professionals. However, little is known about radiographers' rights when it comes to professional ethics. THE AIM: The aim of this study was to describe radiographers' perceptions and experiences of their professional rights. The ultimate aim was to increase the understanding of professional ethics in this context and support radiographers' ethical pondering in diagnostic radiography. METHODOLOGY: A qualitative method was used. Semistructured group interviews with 15 radiographers were conducted in spring 2013 at two publicly provided diagnostic imaging departments in Finland. Data were analysed by inductive content analysis. All the participants were women, and they had worked as radiographers for an average of 18 years. FINDINGS: Based on our analysis, radiographers' professional rights consisted of rights related to their expertise in radiography and the rights related to working conditions that ensured their wellbeing. Expertise-based rights included rights to plan, conduct and assess radiological care with patient advocacy. Radiographers have the right to contribute to a culture of safe radiation in their organisation and to use their professional knowledge to achieve their main target, which is the safe imaging of patients. Radiographers also have right to work in conditions that support their well-being, including the legal rights stated in their employment contract, as well as their rights concerning resources at work. CONCLUSIONS: Radiographers' professional rights are an elementary and multidimensional part of their clinical practice. In future, more theoretical and empirical research is needed to deepen the understanding of their rights in the clinical practice and support radiographers on issues related to this aspect of their work.

Radiography Students' Learning: A Literature Review.

PURPOSE: To describe research methodology and findings concerning radiography students' learning. METHODS: Health sciences databases were searched to perform a traditional narrative literature review. Thirty-five peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2014 were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Specific methods of learning were found to be of the most interest. The studies focused primarily on the use and usability of a method or the students' general experiences of it. The most commonly studied methods were e-learning and interprofessional learning, which students perceived as positive methods for theoretical studies and clinical training. Students' learning regarding research was the focus of only one article reporting a wide variety of students' research interests. Most studies reported quantitative research gathered from questionnaires and surveys. CONCLUSIONS: Additional research, especially from a qualitative point of view, is needed to deepen the evidence-based knowledge of radiography student learning.

Lens dose in routine head CT: comparison of different optimization methods with anthropomorphic phantoms.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to study different optimization methods for reducing eye lens dose in head CT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two anthropomorphic phantoms were scanned with a routine head CT protocol for evaluation of the brain that included bismuth shielding, gantry tilting, organ-based tube current modulation, or combinations of these techniques. Highsensitivity metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor dosimeters were used to measure local equivalent doses in the head region. The relative changes in image noise and contrast were determined by ROI analysis. RESULTS: The mean absorbed lens doses varied from 4.9 to 19.7 mGy and from 10.8 to 16.9 mGy in the two phantoms. The most efficient method for reducing lens dose was gantry tilting, which left the lenses outside the primary radiation beam, resulting in an approximately 75% decrease in lens dose. Image noise decreased, especially in the anterior part of the brain. The use of organ-based tube current modulation resulted in an approximately 30% decrease in lens dose. However, image noise increased as much as 30% in the posterior and central parts of the brain. With bismuth shields, it was possible to reduce lens dose as much as 25%. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that gantry tilt, when possible, is an effective method for reducing exposure of the eye lenses in CT of the brain without compromising image quality. Measurements in two different phantoms showed how patient geometry affects the optimization. When lenses can only partially be cropped outside the primary beam, organ-based tube current modulation or bismuth shields can be useful in lens dose reduction.

Physical activity and fitness in 8-year-old overweight and normal weight children and their parents.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the physical fitness and physical activity of 8-year-old overweight children (n = 53) to normal weight children (n = 65), and to determine whether a significant relationship exists between physical activity of parents and their children. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. METHODS: A total of 119 children from Northern Finland were recruited for the study. Waist circumference, height, weight and BMI were measured. Physical activity of the children and their parents was determined with self-administered 7-day recall questionnaires (PAQ-C). Physical fitness of the children was evaluated with 7 items of the EUROFIT-test battery (flamingo balance test, plate tapping, sit-and-reach test, sit-ups, bent arm hang and 10×5 shuttle run). Aerobic capacity of the children was tested with 6-minute walking test. RESULTS: Overweigh was related to impaired performance in tests requiring muscle endurance, balance, explosive power of lower extremities, upper body strength and endurance, speed and agility in both genders and aerobic capacity in boys. Physical activity levels of overweight boys (2.41 SD 0.72) were lower than their lean counterparts (2.91 SD 0.64, p = 0.004); no such difference was observed in girls (2.53 SD 0.64 vs. 2.59 SD 0.68, p = 0.741). Physical activity was significantly associated with better performance in several physical fitness tests in boys, but not in girls. Mothers' physical activity was associated with children's physical activity (r = 0.363, p < 0.001), but no such association was found between fathers and children (r = 0.019, p = 0.864). CONCLUSION: This study shows an inverse relationship between excess bodyweight and physical fitness in children. Mother-child relationship of physical activity appeared to be stronger than father-child relationship. Improving physical fitness in children through physical activity might require interventions that are responsive to the ability and needs of overweight children and their families and focus on helping parents and children to be physically active together.

Health science students' experiences of group supervision of the bachelor's thesis.

This study aimed to describe health science university students' experiences of group supervision of the bachelor's thesis. Sixty-one students responded to questions on an open data collection form, and the data were analyzed by using qualitative inductive content analysis. According to the students, group supervision is supportive in terms of joint learning as well as commitment-enhancing and participative learning, but it also can be useless from the viewpoint of an individual student's own thesis. Teachers' role as experts and active directors of the group, students' commitment to learn together, and workable practical organization of the group were promoting factors, whereas students' timetable problems, mismatch between received and needed supervision, and difficulties in supervising other students were restraining factors. The results can be used for developing group supervision in higher health education.

Health science students' conceptions of group supervision.

AIM: The aim of this study was to describe health science university students' conceptions of group supervision during work on bachelor's thesis. METHOD: This study is a qualitative research. Data were collected with an open data collection form from health science students (N=77). It was analysed by using inductive content analysis, conducted by a multidisciplinary research team. ETHICAL ISSUES: Appropriate ethical principles and scientific practice were followed. All the participants provided informed consent. RESULTS: Students' conceptions of group supervisions consisted of organization of group supervision, the nature of supervision, the interaction between students, the role of the supervisor and learning results. CONCLUSION: Group supervision is a student-centred and problem-based method of supervision achieving a common target. It consists of interaction between students and supervisor. The supervisor's role is profiled as scientific and substantial expertise. Group supervision is a suitable supervision method for achieving theoretical and practical scientific skills.