X-ray Operator Introductory course
Course outline
This course will equip you with the knowledge and skills to perform radiography aligned to the:
- Radiation Health requirements for a rural or remote area radiography use licence (trainee chest and extremities)
- Department of Health's X-ray Operator Services Guideline
- Department of Health's X-ray Operator Services Framework - Competency Framework.
This course covers:
- radiation safety and legislation
- principles of radiation safety and protection
- radiobiology
- properties of x-rays and how to safely operate equipment
- common mechanisms of injury
- common radiology terminology, anatomy and pathology
- how to perform routine diagnostic radiographs of the upper limb (including humerus), lower limb (including femur) and chest
- how to review and evaluate radiographs for clinical value and technical proficiency.
View the course outline (PDF 64 kB) for more detail including study hours, VC tutorial blocks, assessment tasks and practical training components.
Outcomes
You will be awarded a Radiation Health Unit Statement of Attainment and a Cunningham Centre Certificate of Completion upon successful completion of this course.
Once the coursework has been successfully completed, you will need to apply for a trainee chest and extremities use licence with the Radiation Health Unit. Further details of this process are included in the course process (PDF 106 kB).
Admission criteria
To be eligible for this course you must:
- work in a rural or remote health facility with an existing x-ray operator (XO) service, or work as a clinician in the Prison Health Service with an existing x-ray service
- have support from the local Radiographer Advisor, Facility Manager and relevant Health Service Executive (or Possession Licensee).
View the course process (PDF 106 kB) for further details.
Apply
Entry into this course is by an application and selection process during application rounds. Eligibility and prioritisation criteria, and relevant role requirements are listed in the course process (PDF 106 kB) and course disclaimer (PDF 70 kB).
Facilities demonstrating the greatest need, according to the eligibility and prioritisation criteria, will be identified by the XO Clinical Educators (XOCEs) and approached by the Allied Health and Education (AHET) team to submit applications. Applications are assessed by AHET team and offers emailed out with a commencement date to successful applicants (within 3 weeks of applications closing). Payment is not processed until the offer is received and accepted.
Prior to the closing date, applicants and managers are required to review the course process (PDF 106 kB) and course disclaimer (PDF 70 kB), complete and submit the required documentation into the application portal. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Before you apply, you should review the academic guidelines and check the software requirements to ensure your computer system is compatible with our learning systems.
Any urgent training requests outside of application rounds should be discussed with the relevant XOCE, who will notify the AHET team as required.