Kruger, S. B.Nel, M. M.van der Merwe, Belinda2015-08-112015-08-112014-11http://hdl.handle.net/11660/802English: Radiographers are occupationally exposed to ionising radiation and therefore considered radiation workers. First-year radiography students are placed in clinical practice within weeks of enrolment without proof of knowledge of radiation safety requirements. The qualified radiographer may apply to be the licence holder of X-ray equipment or is often appointed as a responsible person for X-ray equipment. The third-year radiography student on the brink of graduation is thus a potential licence holder of medical X-ray equipment. The Department of Health mandates the responsibilities of radiation workers and licence holders in the Hazardous Substances Act, Regulations 1332, and guideline documents, namely the Code of practice for users of medical X-ray equipment and the Requirements for licence holders with respect to quality control tests for diagnostic X-ray imaging systems. The purpose of the regulations is to ensure the safe use of X-ray equipment so that the ionising radiation dose to the staff and the patient is kept as low as reasonably achievable. The research problem is that the regulations depict that licence holders of X-ray equipment must educate radiation workers and implement quality control tests, but nationally no standardised monitoring of radiation safety and quality control requirements education is currently in place. The purpose of this study was to develop standardised radiation safety and quality control requirement training and assessment for diagnostic radiography to address radiation safety. The methods that were utilised were a literature review that provided background in order to contextualise the research problem and to develop the criteria for the training and assessment; a Delphi survey involving a panel of experts to establish a set of criteria suitable for a basic or advanced component of the training and assessment; questionnaires for radiography students to determine the knowledge of the radiation worker before the training, and questionnaires determining the effect of training on the knowledge by means of a post-test. Results of the Delphi survey identified the content of the radiation safety and quality control requirements for training and assessment by means of the contribution of a panel of experts. The development and execution of the training and assessment statements formed part of action research that contributed to fill the gap pertaining to the education and training in the requirements for radiation safety and quality control for radiation workers and medical X-ray equipment licence holders in the higher education environment. The contribution of the research was to develop standardised training and assessment content and methods for diagnostic radiographers regarding the radiation safety and quality control requirements for radiation workers and medical X-ray equipment licence holders to be implemented in the diagnostic radiography healthcare environment. The recommendation is that this study may serve as a directive for higher education institutions, the Directorate: Radiation Control, as well as licence holders, that will benefit if evidence can be confirmed of the educational and training attainment of radiographers regarding the requirements for radiation safety and quality control. Standardised training and assessment in radiation safety and quality control requirements have the potential to enhance the safety of the first-year radiography students as beginner radiation workers, the compliance of the third-year students as potential licence holders of medical X-ray equipment, and, as a result, the safety of patients.Afrikaans: Radiografiste is uit die aard van hul beroep blootgestel aan ioniseringsbestraling, en word dus beskou as bestralingswerkers. Eerstejaar-radiografiestudente word binne weke na registrasie in kliniese praktyk geplaas sonder enige bewyse van kennis van die vereistes vir bestralingsveiligheid. Die gekwalifiseerde radiografis mag aansoek doen as lisensiehouer van x-straaltoerusting, of word dikwels aangestel as die persoon verantwoordelik vir die x-straaltoerusting. Die derdejaar-radiografiestudente wat op die punt staan om te gradueer is dus potensiële lisensiehouers van mediese x-straaltoerusting. Die Departement van Gesondheid dra die verantwoordelikheid vir die uitvoering van die Wet op Gevaarhoudende Stowwe, Regulasie 1332 en riglyndokumente, naamlik die Praktykkode vir die gebruikers van mediese x-straaltoerusting en die Vereistes vir lisensiehouers ten opsigte van gehaltebeheertoetse van diagnostiese x-straal-beeldingstelsels aan lisensiehouers en bestralingswerkers op. Die doel van die regulasies is om die veilige gebruik van x-straaltoerusting te verseker sodat die ioniseringsbestralingsdosis van die personeel en die pasiënte so laag as wat redelik moontlik is, gehou word. Die navorsingsprobleem is dat die regulasies bepaal dat lisensiehouers van x-straaltoerusting bestralingspersoneel moet onderrig en gehaltebeheertoetse moet implementeer, maar nasionaal is daar tans geen gestandaardiseerde onderwys vir die monitering van bestralingsveiligheid en gehaltebeheervereistes in plek nie. Die doel van die studie was om gestandaardiseerde bestralingsveiligheids- en gehaltebeheeropleiding en -assessering vir diagnostiese radiografie te ontwikkel om aandag te skenk aan bestralingsveiligheid. Die metodes wat aangewend is, was ʼn literatuurstudie wat agtergrond verskaf het vir die kontekstualisering van die navorsingsprobleem en ook om kriteria daar te stel vir die opleiding en assessering; ʼn Delphi-ondersoek waarby ‘n deskundigheidspaneel betrek is om ʼn stel kriteria daar te stel wat vir die basiese of gevorderde komponent van die opleiding en assessering geskik sou wees; vraelyste vir radiografiestudente om die kennis van bestralingswerkers voor opleiding te bepaal, asook vraelyste om die uitwerking van die opleiding op hul kennis te bepaal deur middel van ‘n na-toets. Deur die resultate van die Delphi-opname is die inhoudelike vir die opleiding en assessering in bestralingsveiligheids- en gehaltebeheervereistes geïdentifiseer deur die bydraes van die paneel van deskundiges. Die ontwikkeling en implementering van die opleiding- en assesseringstellings het deel gevorm van die aksienavorsing wat bygedra het om die gaping wat in die hoëronderwysomgewing bestaan ten opsigte van die onderwys en opleiding in die vereistes vir bestralingsveiligheid en gehaltebeheer vir bestralingswerkers en die houers van lisensies vir mediese x-straaltoerusting, te vul. Die bydrae van die navorsing is daarop gerig om gestandaardiseerde opleidings- en assesseringsinhoudelike en –metodes te ontwikkel vir diagnostiese radiografiste rakende die bestralingsveiligheid- en gehaltebeheervereistes vir bestralingswerkers en die lisensiehouers van mediese x-straaltoerusting om in die gesondheidsorgomgewing van die diagnostiese radiografie geïmplementeer te word. Dit word aanbeveel dat die studie as aanwyser vir hoëronderwysinstellings, die Direktoraat: Stralingsbeheer, asook lisensiehouers gebruik word, aangesien hulle daarby baat sal vind as die bewyse bevestig kan word van wat bereik is deur die onderwys en opleiding van radiografiste ten opsigte van die vereistes vir bestralingsveiligheid en -gehaltebeheer. Gestandaardiseerde opleiding en assessering in bestralingsveiligheid- en -gehaltebeheervereistes het die potensiaal om die veiligheid van eerstejaar-radiografiestudente as nuwelingbestralingswerkers te bevorder, asook om te verseker dat derdejaarstudente, as potensiële lisensiehouers van mediese x-straaltoerusting, aan die vereistes voldoen, en daardeur hul eie en gevolglik ook die veiligheidsituasie van pasiënte, uit te bou.enThesis (Ph.D (Health Professions Education))--University of the Free State, 2014Radiation workersThesisUniversity of the Free State