Clinical Hours

A general guide to start times:

Dayshift: 0830 – 1700 (less 1 hour break) = 7.5 hours

PM Shift: 1500 – 2300 (less ½ hour break) = 7.5 hours

Night Shift 2300 – 0700 (less ½ hour break) = 7.5 hours

Allowances can be requested for cases of hardship and special circumstances.

·         Inconvenient public transport scheduling

·         Honours student projects

·         Part-time employment commitments

·         Elective University subjects

·         Social circumstances

Special Consideration for Afternoon Shift

Afternoon shifts begin at 3pm and end at 11pm with a 30 minute break. It is important to consider how you will safely get home at the conclusion of your shift. You may choose to ask staff if they can drive you to your car if it is parked away from the hospital. It is equally important that you have made arrangements to get back safely to your house at night from the nearest public transport stop.

If required, afternoon shift start & finish times can be changed to work around public transport schedules. Please outline this requirement on the clinical preferences form.

FAQ’s:

Q: Can I not have lunch and go home early?

A: No.

Q: Can I take a half hour break instead of an hour and leave early?

A: You may take a half hour break when rostered to an ED shift. However in any other department including Level 2 and all modalities, you must negotiate a shorter lunch break with the Senior Radiographer at the beginning of each day. It is unprofessional to assume you can adjust your clinical hours without consideration for your fellow team members.

Q: If I have an appointment that cannot be rescheduled can I just come in late and finish late?

A: Not without discussing with you clinical supervisors, any change to your ordinary clinical hours requires approval – as it does for qualified radiographers.

Q: What do I do if I am running late?

A: If you will be significantly late, please phone the department (the sick phone 8204 3043 is acceptable, leave a message prior to 8.30am). As a professional courtesy, please acknowledge your tardiness to your department senior, lack of acknowledgement and/or repeated incidences do not go unnoticed by staff.

Sick Leave

Absence from clinical practice can occur for the following reasons;

·         Sickness and accidents

·         Carers’ leave (sick children)

·         COVID-19

·         Honour’s student related absence

·         Bereavement

·         Victim of crime

·         Other miscellaneous

It is not good practice to come to clinical practice when you are unwell for the following reasons;

·         You can pass on your illness to staff and patients

·         You can be assessed as under-performing in your clinical work

If you are sick and can’t make it to clinical practice at FMC

Do:

·         Phone 8204 3043 and leave a message on the answering machine; include your full name, state that you are a student radiographer and where you were supposed to be rostered for the day.

·         Email the course coordinator as per Clinical Attendance Policy, UniSA

·         Email Emma Liu, Clinical Placement Coordinator (Emma.Liu@sa.gov.au)

·         Note sick leave on the Level 1 attendance sheet on return to clinical placement

·         Perform a RAT if you have respiratory symptoms; if positive, email Michael & Victoria and await further instructions prior to returning to clinical placement.

Don’t

·         Mobile phone text message

·         Facebook/Messenger message

·         Ask another student to pass on the message

·         Phone a different number – the recorded message is sufficient notice to staff of your absence from placement.