Jordan is a radiological technologist working in a busy clinic. Recently in the news, there have been articles that talk about gonadal shielding and shifting practices. Due to this, Jordan’s patient asks, “Why do you not shield patients anymore?” How should Jordan respond?

It is expected for Jordan to communicate with the patient in regards to expectations for their exam and use professional judgement based on the individual’s needs, organizational policies, and guidelines in their practice.

Below are several ways for Jordan to answer this question:

• In some cases, an exam cannot be done using shielding as it would cover up the part of the body that is being imaged. In other cases, the organ is so far away from the part of your body being imaged that it would not benefit from shielding.
• Explain to the patient that advances in medical imaging technology have led to better detectors and better features, such as automatic exposure control, combined with a deeper understanding of how radiation affects the body, have led to changes in practice.
• Explain that the amount of radiation used in imaging is so small that the risk to you is very small; therefore, shields provide negligible protection.
• There are situations where the psychological benefit to the patient needs to be addressed. In these situations, Jordan should use professional judgement based on the individual patient and circumstances without compromising the exam.

What Standards of Practice apply to this scenario?

Standard 1.1 Patient-Centred Care

To demonstrate this Standard, a regulated member will:

e. be aware of the individual needs of patients and patients’ expressed wishes and adapt approach, if appropriate, within the limitations of the procedure

Standard 1.2 Clinical Procedures

To demonstrate this Standard, a regulated member will:

e. possess the necessary competence to perform the procedure safely, effectively and ethically

f. follow relevant federal and provincial regulations, professional guidelines and employer/organizational policies and procedures.

g. ensure patient safety

Standard 2.6 Communication

To demonstrate this Standard, a regulated member will:

a. Utilize appropriate strategies to communicate with intended audiences

Code of Ethics

Principle 1 Responsibility to the public

a. Competent care

A regulated member’s primary responsibility is to provide competent services to patients with respect to their individual needs and overall welfare.

Principle 3 Responsibility to oneself

b. Accountability

A regulated member takes responsibility and is accountable for their professional activities.