Clinical Competency Evaluation Form

  1. Student radiographers will be evaluated by a qualified practitioner on procedures which the student feels competent. Students are required to present the qualified radiographer with the competency form prior to the actual performance.
  2. A qualified practitioner will review the request for the examination in relationship to the student’s achievement.
  3. A qualified practitioner evaluates the condition of the patient in relationship to the student’s knowledge.
  4. A qualified practitioner is present during the conduct of examination and will review and approve the radiographs produced by the radiography student.
  5. Program Faculty and Clinical Instructors will review student radiographs periodically and at random to ensure radiographic quality.

The student will be evaluated in the following categories and sub-categories:

  1. PATIENT MANAGEMENT
    1. Room Preparation
    2. Procedure Preparation
    3. Patient Preparation
    4. Patient Care
  2. RADIOGRAPHIC POSITIONING
    1. Positioning/Projection
    2. Image Receptor
    3. Central Ray
    4. Source Image Receptor Distance
  3. RADIOGRAPHIC EXPOSURE
    1. Technique Chart Usage
    2. Equipment Manipulation
    3. Exposure Factors
  4. RADIATION PROTECTION
    1. Patient
    2. Personnel
  5. IMAGE EVALUATION BY FACULTY
    1. Patient Identification
    2. Lead Marker Placement
    3. Radiographic Density/Contrast Evaluation
    4. Anatomic Relationships/Projections
    5. Presence of Artifacts
    6. Body/Part Placement
    7. Anatomy Identification
    8. Radiograph Acceptance

All students must pass the competency evaluation by 75% or greater. A score below 75% will signify the student failed to prove competent in the procedure. Minus (10) points will be deducted from the final competency grade for each repeat radiograph. A ten-point reduction will also be made for no/incorrect lead marker placement evident on the radiograph. (Please refer to lead marker placement policy)

All competencies will be evaluated and reviewed by Program Faculty. Student’s strengths and weaknesses will be determined by the faculty and will be presented to the student performing the competency evaluation.

Students are required to meet an assigned competency exam number per semester. A student failing to achieve the required competency examination numbers per term will receive a minimum of five percent (5%) to a maximum of twenty-five percent (25%) reduction from the clinical competency category of the final clinical grade. The grade reduction will be based on five percentage (5%) points per delinquent examination.

All scores from clinical competency attempts made by a student will be averaged together each semester. This average will determine 25% of the student’s final Clinical Education grade excluding Clinical Education I.

Any student exceeding the required number of competency examination for the prescribed semester will be credited the excess numbers for the proceeding semester.

Students are responsible for presenting the competency evalution form to the evaluator at the time when the student wants to prove competent in a particular procedure. These forms are to be completed by the evaluator immediately after evaluation and turned in to the Clinical Instructor/Coordinator for review and final grade.

The Clinical Evaluator must be a qualified practitioner.

RAD 114 - Clinical Education I 0 Competency Examinations required
RAD 124 - Clinical Education II 15 Competency Examinations
RAD 134 - Clinical Education III 25 Competency Examinations
RAD 214 - Clinical Education IV 35 Competency Examinations
RAD 224 - Clinical Education V 27 Competency Examinations *

* Special Rotations will be scheduled upon completion of competency examinations.

Each radiography student must complete a total of 102 competency examinations by the end of RAD 224 - Clinical Education V. Students failing to complete the required competencies will receive the stated point reduction. Students failing to meet this requirement will be counseled by the Clinical Coordinator concerning their continuation in Clinical Education and may be recommended to the Program Director for dismissal from the Radiologic Technology Program. A student who has been unsuccessful in the first attempt to prove competent on a procedure/exam will, when applicable, before a second attempt:

  1. Be counseled by the person administering the evaluation to identify areas of weakness.
  2. Review the relevant procedure.

It is the student’s responsibility to make arrangements with the Clinical Coordinator to schedule the above activities.

A student who has been unsuccessful in the second attempt to prove competency on a procedure/exam will be placed on clinical probation. The probationary period ends when the student successfully passes the competency evaluation. Before the third attempt, the student will, when applicable:

  1. Be counseled by the person administering the evaluation to identify areas of weakness.
  2. Review the relevant procedure.
  3. Request an academic review with image evaluation from the Clinical Coordinator within ten days of the second attempt.
  4. Submit to an exam from the Clinical Coordinator covering relevant material. This exam will be given no more than five class days after the academic review session. Third attempts to prove competency will be evaluated by a radiographer selected by the Clinical Coordinator.

It is the responsibility of the student to make arrangements with the Clinical Coordinator to schedule the above mentioned activities. A student who fails to pass a competency evaluation on the third attempt will be assigned a grade “F” for the enrolled clinical course.