For Applicants and Students Enrolled in the Radiologic Technology Program
Options:
- No declaration of pregnancy. The student progresses through the program with no declaration to program or clinical personnel. No change in rotations.
- Written notice of voluntary declaration. USNRC: Declared pregnant woman means a woman who has voluntarily informed the licensee, in writing, of her pregnancy and the estimated date of conception. The declaration remains in effect until the declared pregnant woman withdraws the declaration in writing or is no longer pregnant. If the student chooses to disclose her pregnancy, she must immediately provide written notification to the Program Director and the Clinical Coordinator. The notice would indicate the expected due date.
Declaration allows the student to make an informed decision based on her individual needs and preferences.
The student will be provided with USNRC Regulatory Guide 8.13 Instruction Concerning Prenatal Radiation Exposure with its appendix of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The student must then sign a witnessed "Attest" form that was read and discussed.
In the absence of this voluntary, written disclosure, a student cannot be considered pregnant. The student will also be required to follow the National Council on Radiation Protection and measurement (NCRP) dose limits for the embryo and fetus in occupational exposed women, which is no more than 0.5 rem during the entire gestational period and no more than .05 rem in any month, both with respect to the fetus. It is the policy of the program to instruct all students on radiation protection procedures with respect to the embryo/fetus.
Voluntary declaration has the following options:
a. Continuing the educational program with modification in clinical assignments. The program would offer clinical component options such as clinical reassignments from areas such as fluoroscopy, mobile procedures and nuclear medicine. The student will be required to purchase and wear an additional dosimeter for fetal dose measurement if the clinical site does not provide a dosimeter for her. Any time missed from clinical education must be made up per the attendance policy. Graduation depends on the student meeting all didactic and clinical requirements.
b. Continuing the educational program without modification in clinical assignment or interruption. The clinical coordinator would maintain the standard clinical rotations through all areas.
c. Leave of Absence from the program: If the student takes a leave of absence from the program, the place of re-entry would depend on many factors. Students may be placed at the beginning of the program or somewhere within the program based on their academic and clinical status and standing when leaving.
d. Option for written withdrawal of declaration: A student may withdraw declaration of pregnancy at any time during the pregnancy. The revocation of pregnancy declaration notifies the program of the student’s choice to revoke her previous election to apply federal and/or state radiation dose limits to an embryo/fetus as a condition of her radiation related clinical experiences in the program.
Neither Kent State University Salem Campus nor the student's assigned Clinical Education Setting will be responsible for radiation injury to the student or the embryo/fetus if the student chooses to continue in the program during pregnancy.
Policy: 1992. Last revision: 2019