Radiation Therapy

Job-Shadowing

Job-shadowing is available to students that:

• are at least 16 years of age,
• have or are planning to apply to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics' Radiation Therapy Program,
• are free of communicable diseases and agree to complete and sign a screening form,
• agree to sign the "Declaration of Patient Information Confidentiality", and
• agree to the clothing attire requirement.

To request a job-shadow opportunity, send an e-mail to Mindi TenNapel (mindi-tennapel@uiowa.edu). Put "Job-Shadowing" in the subject line and in the main message supply Mindi with your name, contact information (address and phone number), age, level of education (high school or college), and several dates that you could attend, based on the dates shadows are provided (see below). Mindi will attempt to set-up the shadow on one of the dates you requested or will let you know what remains available.

Below you will find instructions on the proper attire to wear (those not dressed appropriately will not be allowed to shadow), a copy of the health screening form, guidelines on patient confidentiality, and directions.

Shadowing Dates:

• Set up on a case-by-case basis through the Radiation Therapy Program Director.

Clothing Attire Required:

When the potential RTT candidate is in the hospital for the job-shadow experience the following dress code is to be followed. Failure to meet this dress code will result in you being unable to attend the shadow. There will be NO exceptions.

1. Grooming/Personal Hygiene:
   1. Candidate must be physically clean, well groomed, and take steps to prevent and/or address problems of offensive body odor.
   2. Candidate is to avoid excessive use of fragrances and must be sensitive to scented chemicals that may be offensive, cause allergic, or other adverse reactions for patients, visitors, staff or another person.
2. Jewelry/Adornments:
   1. The wearing of jewelry, scarves, and accessories should be limited and must not pose an infection or physical hazard.
   2. Tattoos and body art with wording or images that may be perceived as offensive (such as, racial slurs, swear words, revealing body parts in a way that a reasonable person could perceive as inappropriate, symbols of death) to patients, families or other persons should be covered.
3. Clothing/Apparel/Uniforms:
   1. Clothing must be neat, clean and free from offending odors.
   2. Shorts, blue denim jean pants of any length, and exercise or workout clothing, including sweat pants, spandex or legging are not considered appropriate attire. Denim jean pants in colors other than blue are acceptable if they are clean, and in good condition with no holes, ragged hems, or patches.
   3. Appropriate footwear, such as, non flip-flop type sandals, tennis shoes, dress shoes are required. Beach type shoes such as thongs or flip-flops and bedroom slippers are not appropriate. Shoes are to be clean.
   4. Caps or hats, unless worn for medical or religious reasons, are not appropriate attire.
   5. Shirts or other apparel with images, wording or logos that may be perceived as offensive to patients, families or others are not considered appropriate attire.
   6. Tank tops, halter tops, or tops that leave the midriff or back exposed, skirts or other clothing that exposes undergarments or could be perceived as sexually provocative to a reasonable person are inappropriate attire in light of the desire to be patient-centered.
4. Body piercing
   1. No visible body piercing may be worn. This includes the tongue. Communicable Disease Screening Form

Prior to each visit, job-shadowing candidates must be screened for the following. Any visitor with a positive history or examination may be denied visiting privileges. This form must be kept on file in the area visited for 2 weeks.

Communicable Disease Screening Form

Prior to each visit, job-shadowing candidates must be screened for the following. Any visitor with a positive history or examination may be denied visiting privileges. This form must be kept on file in the area visited for 2 weeks.

Name of Patient (or area) being visited:

Visitor’s Name:

Name of Person filling out this form:

1. Does the visitor have any of the following? Please circle the appropriate answer.
   1. Sore Throat - Yes or No
   2. Rash/vesicles - Yes or No
   3. Fever - Yes or No
   4. Drainage from Eyes - Yes or No
   5. Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea - Yes or No

      If the answer to any of the above questions is yes, person may not visit patient.

2. Does the visitor have any of the following? Please circle the appropriate answer.
   1. Cough and Runny Nose - Yes or No
   2. Cold Sore - Yes or No

      If the answer to either of the above questions is yes,

      • Person may not visit if patient is a neonate or is immunocompromised (Exception: Parents or legal guardians are welcome at all times, but they must wear a mask and wash hands).
      • Person may visit other patients if they wear a mask and wash hands.
3. Has the visitor been diagnosed with:
   1. Pertussis within the last two weeks? - Yes or No
   2. Strep Throat within the last 48 hours? - Yes or No

      If yes, person may not visit patients during the following time frames:

      • Pertussis: until person has completed at least 5 days of antibiotic therapy (Erythromycin) or until three weeks after pertussis is diagnosed
      • Strep Throat: until 24 hours after antibiotic therapy started
4. Has the visitor been exposed to any of the following within the past 4 weeks? Please circle the appropriate answer.
   1. Chickenpox - Yes or No
   2. Measles - Yes or No
   3. Mumps - Yes or No
   4. Rubella (German Measles) - Yes or No

      If answer to above questions is No, skip to Question #5. If yes to any of the above questions, has the visitor had that disease or been immunized for that disease?

   5. Chickenpox - Yes or No (Varivax vaccine)
   6. Measles - Yes or No (Measles or MMR vaccine)
   7. Mumps - Yes or No (Mumps or MMR vaccine)
   8. Rubella (German Measles) - Yes or No (Rubella or MMR vaccine)

      If answer to above questions is yes, may visit. If no, person may not visit patients during the following time frames:

      • Chickenpox days 8 through 21 after the last exposure
      • Measles days 5 through 21 after the last exposure
      • Mumps days 7 through 21 after the last exposure
      • Rubella (German Measles) days 11 through 26 after the last exposure
5. Has the visitor received oral polio immunizations within the past 4 weeks? - Yes or No

   If yes, person may visit patients but should not use patient’s bathroom. Visitor should wash hands after using a bathroom or adult visitor should wash hands after changing diapers of child who received polio immunization.

Declaration of Patient Information Confidentiality

University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is legally required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPAA) to protect the privacy of the health care information of all patients treated at our insitution.Your visit to UI Hospitals and Clinics may included viewing of computer-stored patient information and/or information from patient medical records. Under no circumstances may this information be discussed with anyone. State and federal law protect the confidentiality of patient information that you may view during the course of your visit to UI Hospitals and Clinics.

State and federal law prohits you from making any disclosure of this information.

I declare that I have read and understood the above aspects of patient confidentiality. Furthermore, I understand that violation of the confidentiality of patient information is reason for revocation of UI Hospital and Clinics educational privileges, and is subject to civil and criminal penalties.

Signature ________________________________________ Date _________________________

Print Name ______________________________________

(Before attending the job-shadow you will be asked to sign this form.)

Directions

Maps and directions are available on the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Web site.

You may park in any of the ramps located west of the UI Hospitals and Clinics' main entrance. Enter the Pomerantz Family Pavilion West addition. Take the stairs down to the Center of Excellence in Image Guided Radiation Therapy (Department of Radiation Oncology). Let the reception desk know you are a shaow student and they will contact Mindi TenNapel.