ESTRO 2024 - Abstract Book

S5763

RTT - Education, training, advanced practice and role developments

ESTRO 2024

915

Digital Poster

A model to facilitate the mental health of radiation therapy students during their academic training

LOUISA MOKOENA

UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG, MEDICL IMAGING AND RADIATION SCIENCES, JOHANNESBURG, South Africa

Purpose/Objective:

The curriculum for the training of radiation therapy (RT) students involves collaborative teaching and learning between higher education institutions and radiation oncology departments (Hazell, Lawrence & Friedrich-Nel, 2020). Clinical placement therefore plays an essential part in these students’ training and as a result, RT students are placed in radiation oncology departments and allocated on a block system which typically entails two weeks of lectures at the university followed by two weeks in the clinical practices. The literature advocates that it is essential for students to be (i) clinically and emotionally equipped so that they can adapt to working professional life (Dungey, 2009), (ii) informed of the appropriate channels accessible to them so that they know what to do when they encounter challenges (Chamunyonga, Singh, Gunn & Edwards, 2020). The aim of this research study was to explore and describe the experiences of RT students working with patients in radiation oncology departments. This served as a frame of reference for the development of a model to facilitate the mental health of RT students during their academic training. The philosophy of science that guided the research design of this study was the postmodern constructivist paradigm as well as the Theory for Health Promotion in Nursing (University of Johannesburg, 2012). • To explore and describe the experiences of RT students working in radiation oncology departments during their academic training. • To explore and describe the perceptions of RT lecturers and RT clinical tutors on how to guide or support RT students working in radiation oncology departments during their academic training. • To develop, describe, and evaluate a model that will be used as a frame of reference for the facilitation of the mental health of RT students working in radiation oncology departments during their academic training. • To describe guidelines on how to implement the model to facilitate the mental health of RT students working in radiation oncology departments during their academic training. This was achieved by following the objectives below.

Material/Methods:

A qualitative, theory-generating, contextual, explorative, and descriptive research design was utilized to conduct this study. The study population comprised of radiation therapy (RT) lecturers employed at higher education institutions that train RT students and clinical tutors employed at radiation oncology departments that are accredited to train RT students. In addition, the population of the study was made up of RT students registered at the University of Johannesburg. Purposeful sampling was used to select participants whereby eight RT lecturers and clinical tutors and twelve RT students took part in this study. Data collection took place online utilizing the Appreciative Inquiry approach