22 Professional Behavior Policy
The primary rationale for expecting professional behavior in the clinic is to promote patient safety and effective collaboration. The radiography program has established a set of expected professional behavior(s), which will aid students in their ability to develop necessary skills for an entry-level position in healthcare.
- Students are expected to adhere to all RSIP program policies and procedures outlined in the Radiography Clinical and Student Handbook.
- Students are expected to adhere to all policies and procedures of the assigned clinical affiliate.
- Students are expected to arrive at their assigned clinical sites on time, demonstrating punctual behavior demonstrates professional behavior.
- Students are expected to demonstrate effective communication, interaction, and behavior toward other students, faculty, clinical staff, and patients.
- Students must give prior notice to their supervising radiographer when they are to report for classes or other RISP activities during clinical hours.
- Students are expected to use professional titles in the presence of patients and hospital staff. (Students should address all physicians, radiologists, and residents by Dr., not by the first name).
- Students are expected to avoid controversial discussions with referring physicians and other hospital personnel. These matters should be brought to the attention of the RISP faculty and/or the RISP director for a referral to proper departmental personnel.
- Students are expected to refrain from eating, drinking, sleeping, reading, utilizing personal devices, excessive studying, surfing the web, and mingling in portions of the hospital department devoted to patient and physician services.
- Personal calls made by students in the clinic must be limited to those that are emergent or absolutely necessary. Students must never make these calls in front of patients. Personal cell phones and devices should be put away in the student’s locker and only used during approved breaks.
CPs, clinical coordinator, physicians, or department managers have the right to send students home due to lack of productivity or lack of professional behavior.
Failure to act professionally as described above will result in academic penalties according to the severity listed in the chart below: Remember, the chart below includes, but is not limited to, the professional behavior policy violations listed. Since we cannot account for every circumstance, unique situations will be handled on a case-by-base basis and at the discretion of the Clinical Preceptor, Clinical Coordinator, and/or the Program Director.
*If a student is permanently dismissed from a clinical site, there could be limitations in finding a suitable replacement site, which could delay graduation and/or progression in the program.
| Tier 1 Professional Behavior Violation
(Depending on the severity of the behavior, tier 1 violations can be automatically moved to tier 2 violations. This is at the discretion of the preceptor, coordinator, and program director) -1/3rd letter grade reduction |
Tier 2 Professional Behavior Violations
(Depending on the severity of the behavior, tier 2 violations can be automatically accelerated to a recommendation for clinical probation and/or clinical dismissal. This is at the discretion of the clinical coordinator and/or program director). -1 full letter grade reduction |
| Inappropriate use of time while in the clinic (i.e. eating, drinking, sleeping, reading, studying, web surfing, etc.) | Academic Misconduct |
| Unauthorized personal device use while in the clinic (i.e. cell phone, computer, ipad, smart watch etc.) | *Immediate Dismissal from a clinical rotation or site |
| Excessive tardiness identified by the Clinical Preceptor or Clinical Coordinator | Radiating wrong part/wrong patient/technologist |
| Inappropriate communication, interaction, and behavior toward students, faculty, clinical staff, and patients | Performing exams with inappropriate supervision from the technologist |
| Serious violation of program policy as outlined in the Student Handbook or Clinical Handbook | |
| Unsafe practices in the clinical setting (i.e. attending a clinical rotation under the influence of drugs or alcohol, failure to consult preceptor prior to changing clinical assignment, refuses assignment based on patient’s diagnosis, race, culture, or religious preference, unethical behavior etc.). | |
| Failure to maintain patient confidentiality (HIPAA violation) |