Simulation and Set-Up Room

Each staff member and resident receives a daily schedule outlining consults, conferences and patients scheduled for set-up or port film, as well as a computer list of patients on treatment. Residents are expected to be prepared for a set-up in advance of the patient’s arrival in the set-up room. To schedule a patient for simulation, the resident needs to contact either the Chief Therapist or whoever is scheduling in his/her absence. The patient’s name, number, and proposed area to be treated, along with the need for CT’s, contours, contrast, whether the consent is signed, and whether the patient is an OP or IP should be given to the Chief Therapist. He/she will in turn schedule the patient and give the resident a card for the patient stating the date and time of the set-up room appointment. Prior to the patient’s arrival in the set-up room, the prescription sheet needs to be filled out, along with the set-up form detailing patient position and the need for contrast or treatment planning aids. A physics consult for special immobilization should be obtained ahead of time if necessary. If the patient requires a contour or treatment planning CT, this also must be detailed on the prescription sheet. Prior to the patient’s being set-up, a consent form must be signed by the patient and witnessed by a nurse from our department. During a set-up, the resident needs to be available to verify under fluoroscopy the field placement and size. The resident also needs to approve the final films and draw any necessary blocks on each film. The films must be returned to the set-up room following the block drawing so that they can be prepared for pouring. A port film time will be given to the patient when the patient leaves the simulator room and will be listed at the bottom of that day’s simulation schedule.

If a patient needs to be added on an emergency basis to the set-up schedule or to a machine schedule, the addition should be approved by the chief therapist or the assistant therapist first.