Clinical Obligations | SKCTC

Additional Program Information

    Clinical Obligations

    The Radiography program offered by Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College provides a clinical externship which is designed to expose the learners to hands-on experience. Externships are designed to be institutional in nature and are a cooperative effort among Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College, the learner, and the externship facilities. An externship is provided to learners to integrate theoretical knowledge with the practical application of the learner's field of study. Learners do not displace existing personnel during any clinical externship. Unlike the classroom, where tasks are organized for the learner's benefit, the clinical externship setting is organized for the patient's benefit. 

    The clinical externship requires a full-time commitment. Learners are expected to be at their designated site on time each day for the total assigned hours (excluding 30-minute meal break), the entire term of the clinical externships. The learner is also to adhere to the clinical affiliate’s policies and procedures.

    To provide the learner with a well-rounded experience, learners may be assigned to a hospital, diagnostic center, surgery clinic, orthopedic clinic, urgent care clinic and medical doctor office during any given semester. (hereinafter referred to as a “clinical externship site”).  A learner may be required to attend a clinical externship site location up to approximately 120 minutes in travel time from the Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College Pineville campus. The programs’ clinical externship site locations are throughout Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia.

    Each learner will be assigned a clinical externship site by the clinical coordinator. Commuting to any one of these locations for an externship is required for a learner. During the clinical externship rotation, there will be no compensation for the driving expenses. Based on clinical externship site availability and to provide the learner with a well-rounded experience, learners are typically required to complete their externship at more than one clinical externship site per semester.

    This clinical assignment approach assures that all learners have access to sufficient variety and volume of procedures to achieve program competencies. To assure equitable learning opportunities throughout the program, faculty review each learner's clinical schedule and assigns future schedules based on previous clinical education exposure, while assuring equal access and time at each CES. The clinical experience attained on evening and weekend rotations have been evaluated and assessed. The program has determined that comparable volume and variety of procedures, appropriate supervision to maintain effective and safe clinical learning environment, and the essential clinical skills are available to learners. These evening and weekend rotational assignments provide a continuum of repetitive learning opportunities to observe, practice, and perform examinations. Additionally, learners practice time management, adjustment to department dynamics, different positioning methods, techniques, and patient care issues, along with interpersonal adjustments. The program's clinical externship component requires completion of 1,140 clinical hours. The program limits learner clinical externship and didactic involvement to no more than forty hours per week, not to exceed a maximum ten (10) hours per day (excluding meal break).

    Limited specialty rotations may require the learner to travel out of town as well as overnight travel for several days. Upon accepting enrollment into the SKCTC Pineville Radiography Program, the learner understands and acknowledges that they are responsible to attend all clinical externship hours regardless of the site location.

    In accordance with clinical externship site Memorandum of Agreements between SKCTC and area clinical agencies, criminal background checks, routine substance (drug) screening, and any necessary immunizations and/or testing are performed at the learner’s expense.

    CLINICAL EXTERNSHIP REQUIREMENTS

    The learner is responsible for completion, cost, and ongoing compliance including, but not limited to:

    • Criminal Background Check (annual and as needed).

    • Substance Drug Screening (annual and as needed).

    • Learners must maintain documentation of professional liability.

    • Physical examination by a licensed practitioner completed within one year from the date of provider’s signature (MD, DO, ARNP, or PA) using Radiography Program forms.

    • TB Skin Test: Mantoux method tuberculin skin test (purified protein derivative PPD) within one calendar year. Negative PPD skin test with .0mm induration reading (annual).

    • Individuals testing positive must provide documentation that appropriate medical follow-up has occurred. The state of Kentucky requires a two-step process, whereas 2 PPD skin tests must be performed within one calendar year and as the clinical site requires.

    • Tdap: Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis vaccine within ten years (DTaP not accepted).

    • MMR: Measles, Mumps, Rubella (Documentation of two in a lifetime), or titers showing proof of immunity. Learners born in 1980 or after must submit documentation of 2 MMR vaccinations (titer is not acceptable).

    • Varicella vaccine (Documentation of two in a lifetime) or titers showing proof of immunity. History of disease not acceptable as documentation.

    • HBV: completion of the hepatitis B vaccine is recommended and may be required by the clinical externship affiliation.

    • Influenza vaccine (annual): recommended and may be required by the clinical externship affiliation.

    • Novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine: recommended and may be required by the clinical externship affiliation.

    • Learners must maintain AHA CPR for the healthcare provider certification.

    • Learners must wear SKCTC assigned student identification badge.

    • Learners must wear SKCTC-assigned radiation dosimeter.

    • Learners must be equipped with their own set of lead markers.

    • Learners must complete mandatory clinical externship site(s) orientation.

     

    Revised September 28, 2023