PURPOSE: To elicit radiologic technology students' perceptions of a peer-teaching activity, to determine whether students gained safe patient handling skills from the activity, and to ascertain whether they used these skills during their first clinical placement. METHODS: Authors designed a peer-teaching activity whereby fourth-year physical therapy students taught first-year radiologic technology students safe patient handling skills. After completing the activity and the first clinical placement in a medical imaging or radiation therapy facility, 73 radiologic technology students were invited to complete an anonymous online survey about their experience with these activities. RESULTS: The survey response rate was 46.6%. All 34 participants reported a positive experience and 33 recommended it for future cohorts. The median number of skills radiologic technology students reported they gained from the activity was 6, while the median number of skills students reported using during clinical placement was 2.5. DISCUSSION: This peer-teaching activity involving radiologic technology and physical therapy students focused on practical, safe patient handling education. Positive feedback from radiologic technology students about the activities might have stemmed, in part, from the high teacher-to-student ratio, which afforded the radiologic technology students personal instruction. The radiologic technology students commented on the merit of hands-on experience, and they learned the importance of giving patients clear directions and standing close enough to patients to help them move and transfer safely. CONCLUSION: The teaching activity focused on practical skills but also appears to have facilitated the development of professional behaviors and reflection on practice. Future research is required to determine why some students did not practice the skills during clinical placement.
PURPOSE: To elicit radiologic technology students' perceptions of a peer-teaching activity, to determine whether students gained safe patient handling skills from the activity, and to ascertain whether they used these skills during their first clinical placement. METHODS: Authors designed a peer-teaching activity whereby fourth-year physical therapy students taught first-year radiologic technology students safe patient handling skills. After completing the activity and the first clinical placement in a medical imaging or radiation therapy facility, 73 radiologic technology students were invited to complete an anonymous online survey about their experience with these activities. RESULTS: The survey response rate was 46.6%. All 34 participants reported a positive experience and 33 recommended it for future cohorts. The median number of skills radiologic technology students reported they gained from the activity was 6, while the median number of skills students reported using during clinical placement was 2.5. DISCUSSION: This peer-teaching activity involving radiologic technology and physical therapy students focused on practical, safe patient handling education. Positive feedback from radiologic technology students about the activities might have stemmed, in part, from the high teacher-to-student ratio, which afforded the radiologic technology students personal instruction. The radiologic technology students commented on the merit of hands-on experience, and they learned the importance of giving patients clear directions and standing close enough to patients to help them move and transfer safely. CONCLUSION: The teaching activity focused on practical skills but also appears to have facilitated the development of professional behaviors and reflection on practice. Future research is required to determine why some students did not practice the skills during clinical placement.