Page 7 - JRCERT Update Articles

JRCERT Update

Although role-playing is an effective strategy, care must or formal teaching sessions for communication.
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be taken because it relies on students for an enriching Students compare the skills taught in a formal training
experience, which can pose problems. Students might course with those their supervisors use in the clinical
be embarrassed to act in front of their peers or be overly setting. The actions of clinical instructors influence
dramatic, which can hinder the educational intent. students’ communication styles and the value they
place on communication development. A coordinated
Simulations effort between the didactic, theoretical training of
Simulations can be performed using a variety of communication, and the application of these skills in
methods, including the use of devices such as manne- the clinical settings is needed to close the skills gap.
quins, trained people acting as patients, virtual reality,
or other contrived situations that mimic the real world. Attitude
Simulations place the student in artificial emergency A final component of developing communication
situations where instructors assess their response and skills is the student’s attitude toward learning these
coach them in a controlled environment without risking essential skills. Attitude influences the cognitive,
the care of a real patient. Virtual reality simulators have affective, and behavioral aspects toward a stimulus such
shown promise in improving communication skills as learning communication. Understanding the
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and confidence. The newer virtual reality simulators student’s attitude toward learning communication skills
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can be combined with mannequins to provide multiple is important because of the influence attitude has on
scenarios the student must navigate while the manne- adopting communication skills in practice. Influencing
quin’s vital signs and critical levels fluctuate. Artificial attitudes toward learning a topic can be a challenge.
intelligence has shown promise in developing communi- A student’s attitude toward learning communication
cation skills; it can be used to assess time spent talking, skills might not be positive because studies have shown
interruptions, number of pauses, sentence length, use of that some students feel they are much more proficient
medical jargon, and turn-taking to indicate interactivity. 27 in communication skills than they are. Explaining
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Although these results appear promising, the use the value of developing effective communication skills
of technology alone cannot replace the value of human along with activities that show real-life applicability can
connectedness, which is best found at a clinical site influence attitude.
working with patients. A combination of technology
and mentored clinical practice provides a better method Conclusion
for developing interpersonal skills. 27,28 Communication is an essential skill for radiologic
technologist students to learn. There are a variety of
Clinical Rotations methods that can be used in education programs to
Mentored clinical practice is 1 of the main methods develop these skills. By providing a proper theoretical
by which health care students learn communication foundation and working with clinical environments to
skills. Students identify and are influenced by role reduce variabilities in communication, the soft skills
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models coming from the clinical setting. The effect gap can be reduced. Recognizing the differences inherent
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these role models have can be positive or negative based in radiology communication compared with other
on the feedback students receive. A limitation of health care professions is important for developing a
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relying on clinics is the lack of a standardized method more applicable communication model.
for assessing communication skills that lends itself to
the variability among role models. This variability is a
result of the disconnect between the formal teachings Chad Hensley, PhD, R.T.(R)(MR), is secretary and
of communication and the informal teachings, called treasurer of the Joint Review Committee on Education in
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hidden curriculum. Although hidden curriculum can Radiologic Technology board of directors and the radiography
influence many skills, it might contradict the preclinical program director for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY, July/August 2022, Volume 93, Number 6 579
Reprinted with permission from the American Society of Radiologic Technologists for educational purposes. ©2022. All rights reserved.