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Interprofessional Interview

Kara E. Kiscadden

School of Nursing, James Madison University

NSG 463: Professional Role Transition

Dr. Kile

November 6, 2022
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Interprofessional Interview

Working in the Emergency Department, patients come in with a variety of different

health concerns. Some of the common conditions patients come in with include: lacerations,

fractures, abdominal pain, respiratory issues, possible strokes, and cardiac concerns. One of the

most common orders on these patients’ charts is some sort of imaging, which includes x-rays,

CTs, or MRIs. For this assignment, I chose to interview an x-ray technician to gain a new

perspective as I encounter these technicians daily, but don’t know the extent of their job

responsibilities.

An x-ray technician sees many different patients throughout their day. It is their

responsibility to review each patient’s chart before completing their imaging. Once they have

reviewed their history, they assess the patient and explain and answer any questions prior to the

procedure. After describing the procedure, the technician correctly positions the patient in order

to collect an accurate image, focusing on patient safety. The technician then appropriately

documents the details of the procedure and ensures a qualified radiologist receives the images to

review. It is also the responsibility of the technician to stay up to date with current guidelines

relating to x-ray imaging, radiation safety, and continuing their education. Another important

responsibility is to perform quality checks on the equipment they are using to ensure proper

readings.

An x-ray technician is a very important part of the interdisciplinary team. In the

emergency department, there are a lot of sick patients, and proper treatment is based on timely

intervention. In a lot of cases, imaging is required to confirm a diagnosis/condition prior to the

patient receiving treatment. For example, an x-ray is needed to confirm a dislocation, and once

that happens, a physician can perform a reduction to place the body part back in place.
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Prior to my interview with Christine Ferrufino, R.T. (R) (ARRT), I was not aware of the

daily responsibilities of the x-ray technicians. She made a good point that it is helpful to have a

quick conversation with the Registered Nurse prior to completing imaging just to let her know of

anything she should be aware of that might be helpful prior to the scan, or to make sure any

details on neurological/physical abilities be noted in the chart. During our interview, I also

learned how knowledgeable x-ray technicians are in anatomy. While I took anatomy and

physiology courses in school, it seems that the technicians are more knowledgeable about the

human anatomy and are able to clearly identify anatomical differences in scans fairly quickly.

Interdisciplinary collaboration is vital in providing patients with the best possible care.

Efficient collaboration between the different health teams leads to better patient outcomes. There

are multiple factors that lead to good interdisciplinary collaboration. Some of important ones

discussed during our interview were effective communication with a clear vision, positive

leadership, support, and flexibility (Nancarrow et al., 2013).

Communication is most effective when there is a mutual respect between all team

members. It’s important to make sure there is a clear vision amongst the team in order to provide

the best patient outcomes (Walter et al., 2019). The communication between everyone needs to

be clear and everyone should state that they understand what is going on and what next steps will

be in order to clarify any misunderstandings. The team members should have an understanding

in their own role and know their scope of practice as well as when to delegate tasks.

Respectable leadership is another important characteristic of efficient interdisciplinary

collaboration. The roles should be identified, and leaders should provide proper goals and

instruction for the team (Walter et al., 2019). The leaders should also be approachable, willing to

listen, and provide corrective criticism when necessary (Regan et al., 2015). When team
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members can approach management, it makes for a smoother process which can lead to safer,

patient-centered care.

Support and flexibility are necessary attributes of an interdisciplinary team. It’s important

to ensure teamwork between everyone. There should be a mutual support among everyone, not

just the team members, but support from the leadership as well. It’s imperative that team

members are flexible and able to adapt as new findings arise or if things do not go as planned

(Nancarrow et al., 2013).

Conclusion

In conclusion, I was able to gain a new perspective on the x-ray technician’s role within

the interdisciplinary team and focus on what characteristics create an effective team. The x-ray

technician’s daily responsibilities include assessing, explaining procedures, positioning patients,

and communicating with radiologists. An effective interdisciplinary team focuses on effective

communication, positive leadership, and a team that supports one another and easily adapts to

developing situations.
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References

Nancarrow, S. A., Booth, A., Ariss, S., Smith, T., Enderby, P., & Roots, A. (2013). Ten

principles of good interdisciplinary teamwork. Human Resources for Health, 11(1).

https://doi.org/10.1186/1478-4491-11-19

Regan, S., Laschinger, H. K., & Wong, C. A. (2015). The influence of empowerment, authentic

leadership, and professional practice environments on nurses’ perceived interprofessional

collaboration. Journal of Nursing Management, 24(1). https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.12288

Walter, J. K., Schall, T. E., DeWitt, A. G., Faerber, J., Griffis, H., Galligan, M., Miller, V.,

Arnold, R. M., & Feudtner, C. (2019). Interprofessional team member communication

patterns, teamwork, and collaboration in pre–family meeting huddles in a pediatric cardiac

intensive care unit. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 58(1), 11–18.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2019.04.009