2022 NRTW^® Aiming to Heal Contest

The 2022 NRTW Aiming to Heal Contest has ended. Thank you for your participation. Read the winning stories below.

The Prize

Three winners will receive a Combo Kit packed with great NRTW^® products, plus $300.

Enter Contest

New deadline, submit your story by Sept. 30. One entry per person, ASRT members only.

Winning Stories

Story 1

Maria Dimopoulos, M.B.A., R.T.(T).
New York, NY

As an educator who works with radiation therapy students, each year my institution hosts a Listening With Empathy workshop. This involves taking what students hear from patients in clinic and teaching them to listen for underlying needs to understand what patients are really saying, and thus, meaning. For example, if Mr. Smith states, "No, I don't feel any pain," but is wincing when laying on the table, perhaps the underlying need is that the patient is in pain but there is a barrier, so the patient does not address it. The barrier may be a cultural influence. Or it could be that the patient may not want to be an inconvenience or wants to present as compliant or a variety of other scenarios. We teach students to provide empathetic responses that address the patient's needs: "Although you say you're not in pain, I see you are wincing when laying on the table. Would it be okay if I connected with the physician after your treatment today? We want you to be as comfortable as possible and are here to help you along the way." Another example is when a patient says “you look tired” to an early morning technologist. The underlying need is that they are afraid they are going to receive incorrect treatment. During our Listening With Empathy workshop, we taught our students how to empathetically address this patient's needs: "Oh no, I simply forgot my concealer this morning. But don't worry, even if I was tired, we have many QA procedures in place, and we work in teams to ensure that you always receive the most accurate treatment possible. Are there any questions I can answer about your treatment this morning before we begin?" As we conduct this workshop each year, it's important for students and all technologists to learn that, often, the patient's healing process is enhanced and accelerated through rich, meaningful communication and interactions between the patient and the radiologic technologist.

Through our students — soon to be credentialed technologists advancing the field — we can help patients on their journey through the healing process.

Story 2

Catherine Ranney, R.T.(R).
West Haven, VT

As I was positioning a long-standing patient at our clinic for a chest radiograph, she confided in me her fear that her smoking history might have caught up to her. As the posteroanterior image was appearing on my monitor, I couldn't help but see a large, spiculated mass in her lung, and my heart sank. I had to work extra hard to keep my expression neutral as I positioned her for her lateral view, feeling her eyes trying to read my expression. I completed her series and walked her back to her room, saying that the provider would review those images and be back with her shortly as is our policy. I left with a weak smile as she said thank you. A little while later, the provider asked me to call up her images on my monitor and asked if she could bring the patient and her husband in to explain her concern to them. As my teary-eyed patient and her husband stepped into the room where she would hear the words that people dread to hear, she reached out for my hand. I stood there with her holding her hand, giving her support while things were explained in painful detail. She turned and hugged me, and I hugged her back, as she was told to please wait in the waiting room while we made her computed tomography appointment. I walked with them down the hall to the waiting room, where she asked for another hug, and I could feel her pain as she melted into my shoulder with tears flowing.

As her treatments went on, she would come back to our office to see her primary. She would always look for me and reach out her arms for a hug. Lots of the time no words were even said.

I believe patient care comes in different forms, according to the needs of the patient at that time. I value being part of these moments.

Story 3

Rebecca Peters, R.T.(R)(M).
Culpeper, VA

Years ago, I worked at a women's prison performing mammography and radiography for the inmates. Over the years, I did audits of all women over 40 years to see who did not have a recent mammogram on file and inform the physicians so they could write an order for one. Many inmates would refuse the exam while many more were happy that they could have one. For quite a few years, I had one inmate who would refuse the exam without a second thought. One year, I saw her in the area where the inmates would wait for their medical appointments and I stopped to talk to her. I asked if she was going to have her mammogram this year, to which she replied, “No.” After much persuasion while she was waiting to see the doctor, she finally agreed to do the mammogram. It turns out, there were calcifications found, and she underwent a biopsy that showed breast cancer. From time to time, I would check in with her about her treatments and make sure she was going to her appointments with the breast surgeons and so forth. Maybe three years after her diagnosis, I found another job where I could pursue new modalities. I told this inmate about a month before I was leaving, and she immediately began to cry and refused to speak to me after. On my last day at the prison, she came to my office and told me she had been avoiding me because she didn't want to get upset. She said, "Ms. P., I didn't want you to leave and think I was mad at you. You were the one person who stayed on me about my mammogram for years, and somehow talked me into it. You were the only person who was consistent at checking in on me during the treatments and making sure I made my appointments. You are the reason I am here today. You alone. You saved my life, Ms. P. I hope you know that." After we both stopped crying, she told me about other inmates who had the same outcome as her and likely would not have had their mammogram if I hadn't done those audits and the persuading. To know that I impacted her life in the roughest time of her life, not only being incarcerated but also being diagnosed with breast cancer, was just the most amazing feeling. To this day, I still tear up at our last conversation.

Back to NRTW^®

NRTW^® Aiming to Heal Contest Official Rules

Expand all

Contest Official Rules - Aiming to Heal

General

No purchase necessary to enter or win. A purchase or payment of any kind will not increase your chances of winning.

You must agree to these Official Rules in order to enter the ASRT NRTW® Aiming to Heal Contest (the "Contest"). Entry into this Contest constitutes your acceptance of these Official Rules and agreement to be bound by these Rules and the decisions of the ASRT, which decisions are final and binding in all respects.
Eligibility

You must be a registered radiologic technologist or a student enrolled in an accredited radiologic technology program as well as an ASRT member to enter the contest. Winners will be required to verify their status as an R.T. or radiologic science student. Each contestant must provide a valid email upon entry to be considered eligible. Entries without a valid contact will be disqualified. Current member is defined as having a current ASRT member status, as determined by ASRT, at the time of entry and at the end of the Contest, Sept. 30, 2022 at 11:59 pm Mountain time.

The ASRT and ASRT Foundation governing boards, officers, employees, and interns, and ASRT and ASRT Foundation professional advisors, consultants, contractors, fundraising counsel and their immediate family members and members of the households (whether related or not) of all of the foregoing are not eligible to receive entries or to win. (Definition of immediate family: mother, father, mother-in-law, father-in-law, husband, wife, spouse, partner, brothers, sisters, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, children and grandchildren.)

To be eligible to receive the prize, the winner must be at least 18 years of age. All entrants must reside within the continental United States, Alaska or Hawaii. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. No purchase is necessary to enter or win. The ASRT retains the ultimate decision, in its sole discretion, as to which Entrants are eligible. The ASRT’s failure to enforce any term of these Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that term.

This contest is open only to residents of the United States, its territories and possessions. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Any person entering the contest covenants and agrees to be bound by these Official Rules herein and may be required to execute and deliver such other documents ASRT may deem appropriate to signify acceptance of these terms and conditions.
Entry Requirements

Each participant must perform the following task to be considered eligible for the prize:

Complete the entry form on www.asrt.org/nrtw by providing their name, email, and NRTW theme.
Contest Deadline (Extended)

Contest entries will be accepted beginning July 20, 2022, at 8 a.m. Mountain time. All entries must be received by Sept. 30, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. Mountain time.
Prize

The winner will receive:

A Combo Kit valued at more than $193.99 and a cash prize of $300. The total value of the prize package is $494.

Any difference between stated value and actual value of the prize will not be awarded, and the prize is not transferable or redeemable for cash.
Selections

The winner will be selected from entries by a panel of ASRT staff. The selections will take place after Sept. 30, 2022 and winners will be notified by mid Oct. 2022. ASRT alone shall construe these terms and conditions. Winners will be chosen based on the creativity and quality of the submission and which entry is judged best as a theme for the NRTW® poster, as otherwise determined in ASRT’s sole discretion. If the best theme is submitted by more than one entrant, the contest winner will be chosen by a random drawing of the eligible entries containing the best caption. The theme of the winner will be published in ASRT Scanner or ASRT social media channels and website.
Participation

By participating in the contest, each entrant certifies that his or her entry is original and does not contain any material that would violate or infringe upon the rights of any third party, including copyrights, trademarks or rights or privacy or publicity. ASRT reserves the right in its sole and unfettered discretion to disqualify and remove any entry that it believes contains obscene, offensive or inappropriate content, that violates laws or regulations, that does not comply with these official rules or that is not consistent with the spirit or theme of the contest.

In addition, by participating in the contest, each entrant grants to ASRT and its licensees and designees a nonexclusive, worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, transferable, fully paid and royalty-free license to copy, exhibit, display, publicly perform, create derivative works based on and otherwise use the entry. Except where prohibited by law, each entrant grants to ASRT and its licensees and designees a nonexclusive, worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, transferable, fully paid and royalty-free license to use the entrant’s name, photograph, likeness, statements, biographical information, voice, and city and state address for promotional or advertising purposes in connection with the contest on a national basis, and in all forms of media, now or hereafter known, in perpetuity, without review, permission or further compensation.

ASRT reserves the right, at any time, to verify the validity of entries and of contestants and to disqualify any contestant or entry deemed not in compliance or any entry deemed not in accordance with these Official Rules and ASRT is not required to provide a reason for its determination. ASRT also reserves the right to request further documentation, at their sole and absolute discretion, to verify eligibility and compliance with these Official Rules.

In the event the contest is compromised by a virus, unauthorized human intervention, tampering or other causes beyond the control of ASRT, that corrupts or impairs the administration, security, fairness or proper operation of the contest, or otherwise impairs ASRT’s ability to conduct the contest in the manner anticipated by ASRT, ASRT reserves the right in its sole discretion to suspend, modify or terminate the contest. The decision of ASRT is final and binding on all matters relating to the contest.

ASRT reserves the right, at any time and in their sole discretion, to disqualify and/or deem ineligible any individual who they reasonably believe has failed to agree to the Official Rules or has violated the Official Rules.

ASRT is not liable in the event that any portion of the Contest is cancelled due to a condition deemed to be reasonable by ASRT. ASRT reserves the right to modify, suspend, terminate or cancel the contest, if required by law.

Entrants agree that this contest shall be subject to and governed by the laws of the State of New Mexico and the forum for any dispute shall be in the State of New Mexico, United States of America.

All prizes offered will be awarded subject to the conditions herein.
Limitations of Liability and Release

You agree to defend, indemnify and hold ASRT, and its officers, directors, employees and agents harmless from and against any and all claims, damages, obligations, losses, liabilities, costs or debt, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees) arising from your acts or omissions or any violation of these Official Rules. This defense and indemnification obligation will survive indefinitely beyond the conclusion of the contest.

ASRT assumes no liability or responsibility for any loss or harm resulting from any contestant’s participation in or attempt to participate in the contest or ability or inability to upload, download or otherwise access any information in connection with participating in the contest.

In no event shall ASRT, its directors, officers, employees, agents or representatives be liable to any party for any loss or injury to earnings, profits or goodwill, or for any direct, incidental, special, punitive or consequential damages of any person or entity whether arising in contract, tort or otherwise, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.

2022 NRTW® Aiming to Heal Contest