Hannah Turner is the Clinical Specialist Radiographer in Computed Tomography (CT) at Tallaght University Hospital, Dublin. This role includes scanning of a wide variety of patient presentations, collaborating with Hospital Clinicians and Radiologists, and training new staff. Hannah has a keen interest in CT and its role in the wider healthcare pathway, and is a regular educator and advocate on the topic of CT. Hannah is a guest lecturer for the UCD Masters in CT programme, the TCD Masters programme, and is also a core organiser for the Irish Institute of Radiographers and Radiation Therapists (IIRRT) CT wing.
What inspired you to pursue a career in Radiography?
My aunt is my inspiration to pursue Radiography as a career, as she had started the degree many years before in the UK, though she did not end up a Radiographer! She believed I would like many aspects of the job, such as people, technology and science, and she was right. I cemented my choice by doing work experience in St. Vincent’s University Hospital in 2009, which was a very modern department and gave me a fantastic insight into the day to day role of a Radiographer.
What was your favourite part of studying Radiography at UCD, and why?
There are a few aspects of UCD that stood out for me and definitely influenced why I have returned three times! The BSc Radiography programme certainly felt like a family, with a small class size and the same core lecturers across the years. The Radiography lecturers are all warm, knowledgeable and approachable, and the consistency across the years of the degree really allowed us to be comfortable asking questions or for help. In particular, I remember when I was struggling with an Oncology Module and Ms Marion Maher took me for a tutorial in her own time and really broke down the topics for me, which helped me to achieve an A grade in the end. UCD allowed me the option of the Horizons programme, where you could select one or two modules of your choice, which allowed me to broaden my education. I used this to pursue an English Module, a Gender Equality Module and a Computer Science module, and so I experienced lots of the different lecturers and facilities that UCD has to offer. I was very fortunate that a lot of my friends from home also studied at UCD for various other degrees, and thus I had a lot of support and familiarity.
What advice would you give to someone considering a career in Radiography?
Radiography is the eyes of medicine and is a rewarding and demanding career. I would encourage you to pursue it if you love working with people, have a keen interest in science, and you like technology. The role of the Radiographer is broad, from small Primary care centres and private clinics to big University Teaching hospitals, and there’s a role or place for everyone. The machines and techniques we use are ever evolving, and thus your career grows with you. There is also a great sense of personal reward in helping patients daily and being able to help provide care or answers for them.
What were some of the highlights of your time at UCD?
Being part of the Erasmus programme was a big highlight and a great ending to my BSc. in UCD. I spent three months in Brussels with three others from my class - this was the longest I had ever been away from home. I learnt so much academically from a European perspective, and from the setup of a very large teaching hospital (UV Brussels). I also attended the European Congress of Radiology (ECR) in Vienna, which I have returned to many times and where I still meet up with the friends I made. Personally, I learnt a lot about myself and what I was capable of - being in a large hospital, in a foreign country, and not speaking the language. I feel the Erasmus programme allowed me to grow into the person and radiographer I am today, and this was all supported by UCD. Tell us about your current role in Tallaght University Hospital. I am the Clinical Specialist Radiographer in CT in TUH which is a broad role within the Radiology Department. As Clinical Specialist, I am responsible for the day to day running of the CT service, protocol optimisation, waitlist management, service delivery and training of new staff. CT is at the heart of modern-day medicine, and we scan a diverse range of patients. From routine Oncology scans to aid in staging and treatment response, to major trauma and strokes, to diagnosis and treatment of life-threatening conditions. It’s a challenging but rewarding role, as I have a direct impact on the lives of many patients. I meet people during difficult and often frightening times in their lives. There is a great sense of responsibility in providing comfort and reassurance to these patients, whilst achieving good imaging for diagnosis. Managing such a large area of Radiology has a lot of pressures, and as CSR there is a lot of ‘firefighting’ on a day-to-day basis. I am also responsible for the setup of new scanners, services and pathways, so future trends and planning also play a pivotal role as CSR.
What’s the proudest moment of your career to date?
I am fortunate to have many standout moments in my career to date, from achieving my Masters in CT, to national and international presentations, and travelling to different countries for conferences and site visits. But the set-up of the ED CT Scanner in TUH and winning the TUH Hero for Service Excellence are core memories. In June 2023, the TUH ED CT Scanner went online, and we implemented many positive changes to the CT Service that improved patient experience, waiting times, and patient flow within the Acute Floor of TUH. This had a hugely positive impact on the Hospital overall, but also for me I achieved a huge milestone in delivering the third CT scanner to TUH, training of all staff on the scanner, and implementing all its new exciting technology. Then in June 2024, I then received the TUH Hero award for Service Excellence, which in part was due to the transformations in service delivery I could achieve with the new ED CT Scanner.
Who have been the most inspiring mentors or advisors throughout your career, and how have they influenced you?
A lot of people have contributed to my journey so far! Clinically, I have been inspired by trail blazers such as Ms Liz D’Arcy CT CSR, whom I worked with in Wexford General Hospital, and who is a powerhouse of CT knowledge and radiation dose reduction. Liz influenced my motivation to keep diving into the ‘why’ of CT, and to keep perfecting and adjusting with new evidence to achieve better for my patients. I had the honour of being trained in CT by Ms Jean Maher CT CSR, who taught me all my base knowledge of CT in 2017. Jean also taught me how to remain passionate, kind and caring to staff and patients alike. It can be a very challenging and draining job, especially with the challenges of the HSE, but Jean showed me how to keep the patient at the core of what we do, no matter the external pressures. Academically, UCD Lecturers Dr. Shane Foley and Ms. Edel Thomas continue to inspire me to question and push the boundaries of my CT knowledge. To this day, I find their lectures engaging and I always pick up something useful that I can put into my own practise.
What do you think will be the biggest challenge for radiographers in the future?
There are a lot of new AI applications, and how to integrate them and work alongside them is a key challenge I see for radiographers in the future. We need to approach AI as another tool in the efficiency of a Radiology Department, and not as a replacement for highly skilled radiographers. The demand for Radiology is expanding year on year, so meeting that demand is certainly a challenge as we become more reliant on imaging. Radiographers ofthe future need to be well equipped to adapt and evolve with changing practises and roles.
What do you do to relax? Tell us a bit about your current life, family and hobbies.
I am an avid gym attendee, and I think it really helps reduce stress. I do weightlifting, cardio, Hyrox classes, Pilates and yoga weekly. My exercise helps keep me physically and mentally well, and aids in the physicality of the job. I am also a member of the core team for Park Run in Gorey, which is a free weekly timed 5km every Saturday morning. I really love volunteering at this as it is giving back to my local community, and I have made some great friends that I may have not met otherwise. I also like reading a wide range of literature, and I write spoken word poetry as my creative outlet.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
If you fail, try again. If I have learnt anything in my career to date it’s that things go wrong, but it’s what you do after they go wrong that’s important. No one is an expert the first time, you will make mistakes again and again, but it’s what you do with the learning from them that matters.