A Colourful Way To Mark NRRTW

Colour and crafts were used by patients and staff at Westmead Hospital to help celebrate National Radiographers and Radiation Therapists Week (NRRTW).

Radiation therapists from the western Sydney hospital’s Crown Princess Mary Cancer Centre and young patients enjoyed various fun-filled activities to mark NRRTW, which celebrates the role of the profession in modern health care.

The children and therapists decorated immobilisation masks, which are used in radiation therapy to keep patients’ heads in position while undergoing treatment, in a variety of fun colours.

Alison Brown, Genito-Urinary Advance Practitioner Radiation Therapist at the Crown Princess Mary Cancer Centre, said she hoped the event would have great benefits for the children involved.

“It was great to see the children having so much fun with the immobilisation masks and to learn a bit about radiation therapy in a fun environment,” she said. “It was also terrific to see the children enjoy the masks in this way.

“The Crown Princess Mary Cancer Centre treats more than 60 children a year with radiation therapy. Hopefully, if any of the children do need to come across for radiation therapy, the mask-making process will not be so daunting.”

Bright feathers, pipe cleaners and other imaginative items were used by the children to decorate the masks, which can be an important part of radiation treatment for cancer patients of all ages.

The children and their family members also enjoyed other art and craft-related activities during the morning, which was assisted by play therapists and hospital volunteers.

This year’s NRRTW week, which helps highlight the valuable efforts of those working in the radiation therapy profession, had the theme of ‘Working Together’ and was marked by similar fun events at cancer centres and hospitals across the country. The event at Westmead also helped showcase some of the equipment used in the radiation therapy department as part of radiation treatment.

“NRRTW is a great time to really promote radiation therapy in the community,” Alison said. “By raising awareness of radiation therapy, we can help ensure that everyone who can benefit from this treatment has the opportunity to do so.”

For more on the role of immobilisation masks in radiation therapy treatment, click here