Radiotherapy and Oncology (BSc)

The programme has been designed to reflect both theory and practice across radiotherapy.  This will allow you to apply your theoretical knowledge into your practice whilst on placement. 

Teaching and learning on the programme has an enquiry-based approach which aims to inspire you to learn for yourself by focusing on questions, problems or scenarios to help you gain knowledge to tackle problems in the real world.  You will be provided with relevant case studies that will be used to develop knowledge of specific cancer types.

Resources will be available online and during lectures and tutorials to help you and you will be actively encouraged to seek evidence from literature to help support and inform your ideas. 

Practical workshops in the virtual environment for radiotherapy (VERT) suite, the treatment planning suite, mould room and the kilovoltage treatment room will help you to develop skills and consolidate your learning 

Opportunities to hear directly from service users and carers will be provided throughout your study to enable you to understand what it is like to experience cancer from the perspective of those that have a personal insight.  This will help to develop your professional practice.

Interprofessional education will run throughout the three years of the programme.  At level 4, the focus of this will be on developing your ideas of what it means to be a therapeutic radiographer, in conjunction with other members of your class.  As you progress through the programme, interprofessional education will grow to include working with groups of other healthcare professional disciplines within and outside of the School of Healthcare Sciences allowing you to gain a greater understanding of a person’s journey along their cancer care pathway.

Tutorials will help to apply theory to the practical setting and practice placements will further provide opportunities for observation and interactive development of your theoretical skills in a real environment.

This programme offers elements of provision through the medium of Welsh.

How will I be supported?

You will be assigned a personal tutor throughout your studies who you will have regular meetings with. They will provide pastoral support and academic guidance throughout the programme. In addition, you will be assigned an academic supervisor who will support you in the development of your research project. When you are out on placement you will be supported by a clinical lecturer and mentors from our qualified staff group.

Our virtual learning environment is accessible via desktop and mobile devices, allowing you to access electronic resources from anywhere. Dedicated computer labs, student study rooms, campus-wide WiFi networks, printing facilities and a dedicated Healthcare library are available year-round. Staff are available onsite to assist students and provide support and advice.

The School of Healthcare Sciences has access to a range of radiotherapy facilities to help support your learning. These include a Virtual Environment for Radiotherapy (VERT) suite, a mould room, a treatment planning suite and access to a kilovoltage treatment unit.

You will have access through the Learning Central Virtual Learning Environments to relevant multimedia material, presentations, lecture handouts, recording of you lectures through lecture capture, bibliographies, further links, electronic exercises and discussion circles.

The University offers a range of services including the Careers Service, the Counselling Service, the Disability and Dyslexia Service, the Student Support Service, and libraries and resource centres.

Feedback

We will provide you with feedback on your work in a variety of formats. These will include oral feedback during tutorials, feedback provided during lectures, written feedback provided through online module discussion forums, and electronic written feedback on assessed coursework through Feedback Studio.

You will be provided with summary written feedback in relation to examinations and you can discuss your overall performance with your personal tutor.  During clinical placements you will be supported on your progress by mentors/clinical teachers who will provide verbal and written feedback on your clinical performance.

How will I be assessed?

You will be assessed in a variety of ways throughout your study to make sure that you have the opportunity to learn and improve upon your formative assessments and to showcase your skills and knowledge base through different assessment methods.

These include, formal unseen written examinations, electronic examinations, practical examinations, written coursework, a research article, presentations (both group and individual) and posters.  Electronic examinations make use of computers to provide access to diagrams, CT images and radiotherapy treatment plans which are explored through written examination questions.

Practice placements will be assessed through practical demonstration of skills and behaviours across each of the levels.  Throughout level 4 and 5, you will develop a clinical diary which will include, clinical goals, progress record, personal reflections, learning contracts and placement checklists.  The clinical diary will be formatively assessed throughout this time so that you can track your progress and be proactive in determining your practical learning needs.  At level 6, you will continue to develop your clinical diary but at this level, it will form part of your summative assessment for the module.

What skills will I practise and develop?

Knowledge & Understanding of:

• anatomy, physiology and pathology and how this impacts on the planning and delivery of radiotherapy in practice;
• how radiations interacts with matter and the effects of this on the human body;
• cancer as a disease process;
• the incidence and prevalence of cancer in the UK (and across the world) and how this shapes the provision of care;
• the wider context of oncology and management of patients with cancer;
• imaging technologies within the radiotherapy process;
• the range of treatment modalities available and when each might be utilised;
• the psychosocial dimensions of caring for patients and their families during the radiotherapy process and beyond;
• professionalism and how this shapes therapeutic radiography practice;
• professional and regulatory guidelines.

Intellectual Skills:

• Problem solving skills
• Research skills
• Decision making skills
• Ability to analyse, evaluate and apply evidence-based practice

Professional Practical Skills:

• The ability to work as an autonomous professional exercising your own professional judgements within the scope of practice in accordance with the HCPC standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics (2016).

• A holistic approach to service delivery, which includes working in partnership with the service user when delivering their individual care plan.
• Analyse, select, adapt and use appropriate techniques and imaging practices to treat service users accurately and effectively.
• Adaptability to the changing role, responsibilities, working practices and environments of therapeutic radiography provision and demonstrate leadership and innovation in service user care.
• Effective team working with all members of the multiprofessional team involved in a service users care.

Transferable/Key Skills:

• A wide range of effective communication skills, including verbal, visual and written, using a critical approach to adapt these skills to ensure a collaborative approach to giving and receiving of information to a diverse range of audiences.
• Critical thinking and reasoning skills in the application of professional activities.
• Your ability to take responsibility for your own lifelong learning within a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) framework in conjunction with HCPC requirements.
• Collaborative working.
• Critical reflection to inform practice.
• Leadership.
• Resilience and adaptability.