ConGRADulations given to Diagnostic Imaging students for working during pandemic

Final year GCU students have been recognised for their frontline efforts – with a graduation put on by staff at the RAH Hospital.

Diagnostic Imaging students Tara Drain, Emily Crews, Stacey Irvine, Rachel McDade, Elaine O’Donovan and Heather McDavitt all decided to join the fight against coronavirus before their time at university had officially come to a close.

Tara explained why they wanted to get involved. She said: “It was an easy decision to make - we were all ready to start working anyway because there wasn’t really much going on with lockdown.

We obviously knew each other which really helped and we’d been on placement at the RAH before so knew a lot of the staff.”

Tara added: “It was a bit scary going in at this time because everything was so new and normal procedures had also changed, so it was all a different experience for us.

We were doing X-rays and also helping out in theatre. We played quite a big part because we had to do chest X-rays for patients who were suspected of having coronavirus.”

Although official graduations have been suspended for now, the six students still got a taste of the big day thanks to their colleagues.

Tara explained: “They baked cakes and there were banners up in the staffroom- it was really nice of them.

We got individual and group pictures and we all had a gown and our scrolls. One of the radiographers does photography and she brought in her own camera backdrop. She took individual and group pictures of us with our gowns and scrolls and printed them off in a frame for us.

We were so grateful, it was such a nice thing for them to do. We’re all still hoping we will get the chance to graduate on campus!”

By Ross Clark
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