Sarah Lombardi is the Regional Quality Safety Coordinator for the Department of Radiation Oncology and Yale New Haven Hospital. Lombardi shares with SROA a more in-depth look at the importance of a quality and safety coordinator in radiation oncology.
Amidst the rapid changes that have come about because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we spoke to Dr. Bisham Chera in a recent podcast interview for SROA SoundBoard, regarding changes in his department and how they are handling the pandemic.
In this Q&A, Jana Grienke, clinical department administrator, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, shared her experience with using ASTRO’s RO-ILS for incident reporting.
If ever there was a field for which safety culture is critically important, it is radiation oncology. This is due, in part, to the danger posed by introducing radiation to the human body. Add to this multiple human roles in processing every treatment plan, and the psychological complexity of dealing with cancer patients and their hopes, fears and expectations. It becomes important to explore: what are the necessary ingredients to create a successful safety culture? I think there are four pertinent criteria to safety first culture.
As administrators in radiation oncology many of us are tasked with diverse responsibilities that don’t fit neatly into a job description. Though we are in leadership roles, oftentimes we are the chief cook and the bottlewasher, the go-to people that step in to ensure that last-minute crises are avoided. We get the job done. And while that level of involvement can be rewarding and challenging, it can quickly lead to burnout. Read on for 8 tips to avoid workplace burnout and ensure job satisfaction.