Radiotherapy Nursing- Clinical Education, 7.5 credits

A professional status qualification as a nurse awarded by the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare.

A student who has failed the work-based education due to such a serious lack in terms of knowledge, skills or attitude that patient safety or patients' confidence in medical care is jeopardised is qualified to a new opportunity only when the individual action plan has been completed.

The aim of the course is that the student should advance his/her practical knowledge and his/her understanding of radiotherapy and nursing in radiotherapy.

On completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• explain the process of unplanned and planned radiation treatment preparation such as: information, fixation/patient positioning, image processing, markings and documentation
• explain the procedure in target marking and definition of risk organs
• interpret a dose planning and treatment protocol. Carry out a simple dose planning
• give information and teaching to the patient before radiotherapy
• explain the process of re-start including security measures, verifications and measurements
• turn the theory of the treatment plan into the practice of treatment. Cancel, treat and understand the principles of the most commonly occurring radiotherapies.
• give information and teaching to the patient before radiotherapy and about evidence-based nursing actions in treatment reactions in, for example, oral cavity/throat, intestine, urinary bladder and skin
• demonstrate knowledge of documentation routines specific for radiotherapy. Account for current routines for safety and incidence reporting
• show ability to independently identify and reflect around the need of additional knowledge and skills within the subject area

Placement in, i.e. therapy equipment, dose planning and computer tomography.

Studies take place according to the LäraNära concept implying active learning independently or in collaboration with others interleaved with the course meetings, including i.a. seminars and presentations. Teaching is based on a problem-oriented and collaborative approach to learning in which forms of work provide opportunities for the student to take active responsibility for their learning. The used teaching methods are self-assessments, problem-solving, own reflection and analysis of situations are included in the concept. Läranära consists of a computer program distributed as a cd-rom or on Internet. It is connected to a web server, where information is collected. Work in groups and active participation in seminars and attendance at all scheduled group meetings is compulsory. For carrying out the course, access to a computer (PC) with Internet connection is assumed.

For each study group and course, two compulsory course meetings of about a day each, will be organised. For participation in a course meeting, previous assignments should be approved. Active participation in the meetings is required for a pass-grade. The grading system is Failed/Passed.

The examiner decides whether, and if so how, absence from or unfulfillment of compulsory course elements can be made up for. Study results cannot be reported until the student has participated in or fulfilled compulsory course elements, or compensated for any absence/ failure to fulfill in accordance with instructions from the examiner. Absence from or unfulfillment of a compulsory course element may imply that the student can not retake the element until the next time the course is offered.

Students who have not passed the regular examination are entitled to participate in five examinations. Students without approved results after three examinations can be offered to retake the course or parts of it once more; subject to availability. If the student has failed six examinations, no additional examination will be offered. Submission of a blank examination is regarded as an examination. Examination for which the student registered but not participated in does not count as an examination. Home examination that has been opened via the learning management system counts as an examination session even if the examination is not submitted. Late submissions of examinations are not accepted. Students who have not submitted on time are referred to reexamination.

The clinical training can be repeated once.

The examiner can immediately interrupt a student's clinical training if the student shows such serious deficiencies in knowledge, skills or attitudes that the patient´s safety of the patient´s trust for the health care is jeopardized. When clinical training is interrupted due to above mentioned reasons the student has failed the examination and one period is considered consumed. In such cases, an individual action plan should be set up for required activities and examinations, before the student is given a possibility for a new clinical rotation in the course.