Karl Nottage

What is your current role?

Since 2017 I have been the Lead Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) Radiographer at North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple, and a reporting DXA radiographer since 2021. I am also the department’s lead practice educator since 2018.

As the DXA service lead, my role includes a range of day-today duties, overseeing the running of the service, monitoring and evaluating the quality assurance and quality control programme, writing protocols and managing the DXA team as well as performing and reporting on DXA scans and meeting with service users and stakeholders regarding service provision. Mentoring and training our DXA trainee assistant practitioner, to teaching them DXA and supporting their clinical and education needs is another aspect undertaken.

In my practice educator role, acting as the workplace mentor for our six apprentice radiographers is important. This involves meeting with them regularly to support their development. In addition, my role includes being one of the ‘link radiographer’ responsible for the student radiographers on placement with us (usually around five students at a time). Overseeing and facilitating elective placements on site is also part of this role.

The preceptorship programme for newly qualified radiographers is delivered by myself, meeting each person weekly as their mentor to ensure they are OK and making good progress. This is also a responsibility for our international radiographers, with regular weekly meetings to support their development. In addition, my role includes supporting the education and development of other radiographers and staff, as well as delivering clinical supervision sessions to our diagnostic radiographer learners.

Overseeing the work shadowing placements is also undertaken for all those wishing to experience the department when considering a career involving radiography, including school leavers and medical staff considering radiology as a specialism. An additional aspect of this includes visit schools and universities as part of career promotion and outreach. I am fortunate to be able to undertake guest lectures at the University of Exeter, as well as deliver in-house teaching and mentoring for all the learners in the department.

How did you reach this position?

My journey to radiography has been interesting. Initially wanting to be a nurse and in 1993 the advice given was to gain experience in the NHS by taking any job in the hospital. At the time my academic qualifications were very limited, although I had undertaken lots of courses with St John Ambulance, so had numerous vocational qualifications. Fortunately, I was offered the role of radiology helper in the X-ray department, which I found I liked. Doing the NVQ level 3 in diagnostic and therapeutic support, while also attending night classes to upgrade to better GCSEs, helped me reach a position where progress was finally possible. Fortunately, the opportunity to do the pilot University of the West of England (UWE) trainee assistant practitioner course to achieve a higher education certificate was offered to me. This was completed in 18 months and then the opportunity to upgrade this to a full radiography degree with Anglia Ruskin University was further offered, which I completed in 2010. Since then, and with a lot of hard work and support, I have continued to progress to where I am today.

To become the DXA lead, I started as a radiographer in DXA in 2012, training to perform the scans. In 2014 I undertook the Royal Osteoporosis Society National Training Scheme for Bone Densitometry. Promotion came a few years later to senior radiographer for DXA in 2016 and became the acting DXA lead in 2017. To further develop myself a management course was undertaken to enhance my skills and finally became the formal DXA lead in 2018. Once achieving the formal lead role my mission has been to develop the service further. Therefore, in 2020 the next stage for this was to undertake the University of Derby’s DXA reporting course for clinicians (at master’s level), completing it in 2021, which enabled me to then formally take on DXA reporting for the whole service.

My other role as practice educator has followed a different path. In 2012 I initially undertook a mentoring module (at master’s level) with the University of Plymouth, and later became a part of the student support team. In 2015, this led to an opportunity to go on secondment to the University of Exeter as a university clinical tutor. Initially my responsibilities with this role were for the students at one site, this developed to cover a second site as well as some teaching at the university. Through this role further qualifications Have been achieved including the Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (LTHE) programme at master’s level, which allowed me to apply for accreditation as a practice educator with the College of Radiographers.

What support has proved helpful?

I had a great mentor for all my studies, which was amazing. They remained my mentor until they retired. I have since been supported by others for the different areas of my studies. Also, in November 2021, after a lifetime of difficulties with spelling and grammar, I was diagnosed with dyslexia. I have always worked hard to achieve the best I could, but nobody (including myself) had ever thought of dyslexia. However, this has explained a lot and I am now working towards being able to support myself better with this, and I have future plans to support other learners with dyslexia going forward. This has changed my life and although as you can see this is not the most eloquent piece of writing my strengths lay elsewhere in supporting others.

What do you find most rewarding?

Delivering high-standard scans and high-standard reports for DXA scans. My professional pride is being the lead for the service as it allows me to make decisions to improve it going forward. In my practice educator role, it is all about supporting all learners as I enjoy these interactions, and this is the most rewarding aspect of my role. I love being a radiographer and supporting all types of learners to be the best they can be.

Any advice for others pursuing a similar career?

You need to be focused to the bigger picture, as it has taken me over a decade to get to where I am now. It is certainly easier with a good support network behind you. Also, if you do not initially get to where you want to be, there is always another way, so do not give up. Listen to any feedback and have a look at what you need to achieve you dreams, then try again.