Radiation Therapy and Transformational Leadership
Date: September 8, 2022
Author: Cheryl Young, Radiation Therapy Program Director | Editor: Cindy Chamberlin, Content Specialist
Radiation Therapy, defined by educators Perez and Brady (2008),1 is a clinical modality utilizing ionizing radiation to treat cancer and other benign diseases. It is a field that uses evolving technologies coupled with exact procedures centered around compassionate care for patients. Radiation Therapists are healthcare professionals who administer prescribed doses of radiation to patients to treat cancer. (Ekmekci and Turley, 2008)4
How Radiation Therapists Work
Radiation Therapists work within multidisciplinary teams of individuals, including dosimetrists, medical physicists, and radiation oncologists, ensuring proper and accurate treatment to specific sites.
The primary outcome of the delivery of Radiation Therapy is to supply a precisely measured irradiation dose to a defined tumor volume with as minimal damage to the surrounding healthy tissues as possible. The desired result is the eradication of the tumor, as well as high quality of life and prolonged survival for the patient. (Perez and Brady, 2008)1
Therapists and Transformational Leadership
Although different leadership theories exist, one of the most current and popular approaches to leadership that may be applied to Radiation Therapy education is Transformational Leadership Theory. Transformational leadership is utilized within healthcare to appeal to the moral values of those being trained while providing a supportive environment in which responsibilities are shared among all. (Vaismoradi, Griffiths, Turunen and Jordan, 2016)2
Changes within Radiation Therapy, resulting in the advancement of clinical outcomes, often enhance the quality of treatment delivery. Because of changes within the field, which include the evolution of treatment techniques, equipment, software upgrades, and medical advancements, it is imperative to train future leaders with those practices of the Transformational Leadership Theory. Transformational leaders possess skills that:
- Motivate Individuals to Accomplish Great Tasks
- Encourage Growth and Development
- Encourage Adaptive Change.
When administrators lead with this theory, they encourage growth and provide an atmosphere fostering motivation and development. The leadership model manifests in certain behaviors, including:
- Leaders closely engage with followers, motivating them to perform beyond their transactional agreements. (Rubin, Munz, and Bommer, 2005)3
- Educators may utilize evaluation and feedback processes to emphasize areas where a student may struggle. They may introduce goals to follow and accomplish.
- Clinical supervisors positively impact students’ clinical experiences through evaluation and feedback, aiding student learning and success.
Challenges in Radiation Therapists’ Leadership
Due to the field’s evolution and growing demands, Radiation Therapists must improve and maintain their skills to remain proficient. Radiation Therapists must conform to ever-changing challenges, including:
- New Technology
- Clinical Time Constraints
- And Patient Needs.
In addition to these tasks, clinical supervisors must also ensure they are providing students with opportunities to develop the skills to complete educational programs successfully.
Radiation Therapists Are Postured for Leadership
The clinical supervisor and student relationships help cultivate an environment to ensure growth and development can flourish. Therefore, the behaviors of the clinical supervisor may directly impact the student’s outcomes and the individual’s success. Because the clinical supervisor supervises students, a close relationship is established, which helps cultivate a leader-follower relationship.
- Clinical supervisors may act as transformational leaders, inspiring their followers to open their minds and develop creative lines of thinking. The clinical supervisor must engage students in critical thinking activities within student relationships.
- Radiation Therapists are constantly adapting to new challenges, and using critical thinking skills is necessary to ensure students adapt to challenges presented within the department. The clinical supervisor must hold each student to a high level of expectation to achieve the required goals.
- Radiation Therapists practice in healthcare landscapes that are constantly reshaped by constant change, requiring continuous adaptation. (Ekmekci and Turley, 2008)4 Radiation Therapists are continually pushing the boundaries of their profession. (Ekmekci and Turley, 2008)4 In so doing, they model adaptive behavior and reflect the priorities of their organizations.
Summary
By encouraging transformational leadership in the workplace, leaders can change individual value systems to construct new ones constituted by common goals. Leaders may engage with followers by supporting collaborations and encouraging them to identify with an organizational vision and a more significant identity beyond their self-interests. (Ruggieri and Abbate, 2013)5
Think Radiation Therapy may be a good career fit? Get information about Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts’ Radiation Therapy program today.~
Citations:
1^a,b Halperin, MD, Edward, et al. Perez and Brady’s Principles and Practice of Radiation Oncology. 2008. 7th ed., U.S., Wolters Kluwer, October 1, 2018.
2 Vaismoradi, Mojtaba, et al. “Transformational Leadership in Nursing and Medication Safety Education: A Discussion Paper.” Journal of Nursing Management, Vol. 24, no. 7. May 4, 2016, pp. 970–980, 10.1111/jonm.12387.
3 Rubin, Robert S., David C. Munz, and William H. Bommer. “Leading from Within: The Effects of Emotion Recognition and Personality on Transformational Leadership Behavior.” Academy of Management Journal 48.5 (2005): 845-858.
4^a, b, c Sayan, Mutlay, et al. “Utilization of Radiation Therapy and Predictors of Noncompliance Among Syrian Refugees in Turkey.” Access to Radiation Therapy by Syrian Refugees Displaced to Turkey, RG. May 12, 2022. (Accessed September 7, 2022.)
5 Ruggieri, S., and Abbate, C. S. (2013). Leadership style, self-sacrifice, and team identification. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 41(7), 1171–1178. (Accessed September 7, 2022.)
