Abstract
Radiation therapy students receive academic training through theoretical lectures at higher education institutions and clinical placements at radiation oncology departments accredited by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). Training radiation therapy students involves a crucial clinical placement component, which varies in duration depending on their year of study. However, literature studies have reported that students face significant challenges during these placements. Firstly, students have expressed deep anxiety when caring for palliative patients, patients their age, and handling agitated and distressed patients. Moreover, students have voiced that they feel unsupported and alone when dealing with the emotional issues that arise while treating cancer patients. Coping mechanisms adopted by students include escaping or avoiding the situation, seeking informal support from friends and family, and taking charge. It is noteworthy that students who frequently try to avoid stress tend to resort to substance abuse, comfort eating, isolation, and denial. In contrast, those who use problem-solving skills reported reflecting on the stressful situation and considering options to address the stressor.
Working in cancer care can put radiation therapy students under immense pressure as they are expected to adjust to a new and unfamiliar environment. Therefore, it is recommended that students be informed about the appropriate channels available through their educational institution or clinical placement in case they face any challenges. Collaboration between clinical departments, universities, students, and professional organisations is also essential in identifying obstacles that may arise, but are crucial for the learning and growth of future healthcare professionals.
The following research questions were therefore used to guide this research study:
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How do RT students experience working with radiation therapy patients?
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What are the RT lecturers’ and clinical tutors’ perceptions on how to guide or support
RT students working in radiation oncology departments during their academic training,
to facilitate their mental health?
This research study aimed to explore and describe radiation therapy students’ experiences of 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 radiation therapy 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.
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This was achieved by following the objectives below.
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To explore and describe the radiation therapy students’ experiences of working with patients in radiation oncology departments during their academic training.
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To explore and describe the perceptions of radiation therapy lecturers and radiation therapy clinical tutors on how to guide or support radiation therapy students working in radiation oncology departments during their academic training.
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To develop, describe and evaluate a model that will be used as a frame of reference for the facilitation of the mental health of radiation therapy students working in radiation oncology departments during their academic training.
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To describe guidelines on how to implement the model to facilitate the mental health of radiation therapy students working in radiation oncology departments during their academic training.
A qualitative, theory-generating, contextual, explorative and descriptive research design was utilised to conduct this study. The study participants were purposefully selected from two distinct groups. The first group consisted of radiation therapy (RT) lecturers from higher education institutions that train RT students, along with clinical tutors working at radiation oncology departments accredited to train RT students. The second group comprised approximately 135 RT students, with 45 students from each of the three South African higher education universities: the University of Johannesburg (UJ), the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), and the Durban University of Technology (DUT). These universities offer radiation therapy as part of their four-year curriculum. Notably, eight RT lecturers, clinical tutors, and twelve RT students (from the University of Johannesburg) embraced the opportunity to participate in the discussions by signing the consent forms and accepting the Microsoft Teams meeting request link. Data collection took place online, utilising the Appreciative Inquiry approach to formulate the questions posed to the participants. The World Café approach was used to collect data from the radiation therapy students, whilst focus group discussions with radiation therapy lecturers and clinical tutors were used. Data collection and analysis took place simultaneously.
This model development was conducted in four steps described below. Step one was the concept analysis, which entailed the definitions of the characteristics essential to the connotative meaning of a concept. This step was done in two phases. Phase one was the identification of the central concepts, and phase two was the defining and classifying of the central concepts with the aid of various online dictionaries and relevant literature to
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determine their different meanings. Step two involved the examination of all the central concepts identified and defined in the first step to determine the common characteristics that appeared repeatedly so that relationship statements could be formed.
This was followed by the description of the model and included selecting the concepts of the model, describing the definitions of the model, developing relationship statements, describing the purpose of the model, structuring the model, and clarifying the context of the model. In addition, the model was evaluated by a panel of experienced researchers in theoretical model development and doctoral student supervision. The final step entailed the provision of comprehensive guidelines aimed at effectively facilitating the mental health of radiation therapy students throughout their academic training.
A model has been developed to facilitate the mental health of RT students as they progress through their academic journey. This model has the potential to change the way radiation therapy is taught and learned. Detailed implementation guidelines for the model have been formulated and are anticipated to create an environment for teaching and learning that will help RT students acquire the skills necessary for the clinical setting. This model takes a comprehensive and integrated approach, specifically addressing the unique challenges faced by RT students and ultimately resulting in a positive impact on the well-being of RT students.