Sexual harassment in health care: implications for medical radiation technology training programs

In May 1993, the Council on Education--Radiation Therapy of the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists (CAMRT) decided to include two new items in its curriculum guide: components of sexual abuse prevention; and legal requirements of consent to treatment and specific procedures (especially those related to gender-sensitive procedures). In order to design a lecture or workshop that would cover these subjects, the committee undertook a review of current literature on sexual harassment and abuse. A two-hour workshop was then given to the 12 students in the Radiation Therapy Program at the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton, Alberta. This article attempts to give an overview of the literature as well as the author's recommendations on the format and content for presenting this subject to students. A summary of the students' comments is also included.