Critical Thinking In Radiation Therapy

Critical thinking involves evaluating information and deducing consequences in order to solve problems and improve outcomes. The critical thinking steps are as follows: Identify the problem, investigate the problem, formulate viable solutions, and select the best solution (Adler & Carlton, 2012). Critical thinking skills are essential in radiation therapy. Patients arrive daily with unique challenges that do not fit the mold of normality. Creativity is necessary to ensure every patient receives the quality of care required by the radiation therapy practice standards and code of ethics (Washington & Leaver, 2010). This essay will examine different scenarios that present in the practice of radiation therapy.
The first scenario is a patient

From outside the room, the radiation therapist notices the patient becoming nauseous during the actual treatment. The radiation therapist is obligated to act in the patient’s best interest as outlined in the ARRT’s code of ethics (Washington & Leaver, 2010). The fact that treatment has commenced creates a challenge. The therapist cannot just run into the room while the radiation is on. The therapist, however, cannot risk harm to the patient. If the patient vomits while immobilized on her back, the patient could choke and aspirate fluid into her lungs before the therapist could get into the room. If the therapist feels strongly that the patient is going to vomit before the treatment ends, the therapist must stop the treatment. If the therapist waits for treatment to end and an injury to the patient ensues, legal repercussions including negligence and malpractice could occur (Washington & Leaver, 2010). The therapist must contact the radiation oncologist and radiation physicist to see what course of action should follow. It could be as simple as administering antiemetic medication to the patient and continuing the treatment. It could, however, require recalculating the doses over the course of the treatment

Since the student is not a credentialed radiation therapist and is not assigned to the neighbor’s care, the student should not retrieve the confidential records. Retrieving the records would be in direct violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) of 1996 which states that “patient records should only be accessed by those with a specific need to know the content, or those required to document care within the record” (Washington & Leaver, 2010, p. 32). Retrieving the records for the neighbor would also violate the ARRT’s code of ethics concerning confidentiality (Washington & Leaver, 2010). An ethical violation could result in the student’s removal from the program of study as well as the student being barred from ever becoming credentialed. HIPPA violations can result in steep fines for both the student and the hospital. Even though the health records belong to the hospital, the information in the record belongs to the patient; therefore, the neighbor has a right to obtain the information (Adler & Carlton, 2012). The student should inform the neighbor that the records can and must be obtained from the treating physician through written