Additional Considerations

During the educational process, both the RT and learner are responsible for their own actions, while sharing accountability for the outcome of this knowledge exchange. The RT providing the education is responsible for determining whether it is appropriate to teach the particular procedure, as well as deciding how best to transfer the knowledge and evaluate the learner’s competence. Additionally, the RT is accountable to their patients/clients, their employer and to the CRTO. It is the learner’s responsibility to only engage in tasks they have the requisite competencies for, and are also often accountable to other entities (e.g., student RTs have accountability to their educational institution). RT’s must ensure that they are identified and available to assist learners when they are not being directly supervised (e.g. not in the same room). If necessary, RT’s must also ensure that an appropriate alternative supervisor is available and agreeable to assist.

Before permitting anyone (including a student) to perform an activity, it’s essential that the RT ensures they have assessed the potential harm associated with the procedure. They must also determine whether it’s appropriate to allow an individual to perform the activity after considering the individual’s existing competencies.