Having held a life-long interest in nursing and medicine, senior radiographer Ms Phair was set on the road to the x-ray department after an experience that would probably leave most never wanting to see an x-ray again. 

“I’d always wanted to be a nurse, and was always interested in something along medical lines,” she  recalled. “Then, when I was around 14 or 15, I was in a road traffic accident. I was strapped down to a trolley, which is a pretty traumatic experience for any patient, and the radiographer said to me ‘would you like to do this some day?’ So that was it, I thought it was quite interesting.” 

Ms Phair qualified as a radiographer 18 years ago and has been with the Western Trust for 15 years, working at the old Erne Hospital and now at the SWAH. 

“In x-ray here we have a brilliant team of radiographers and we have a lot of specialities,” said Ms Phair. “We have general x-ray, and we have dental x-ray, CT, MRI, and a whole range of other x-ray. I could be doing anything from x-raying a child’s tooth through to health promotion and trying to prevent osteoporosis and right through then to your acutely ill patients and patients with trauma.” 

Indeed, as a radiographer, Ms Phair has to deal with patients who are often at their most distressed, meaning the job is about a lot more than technical ability.  

“I think you have to put yourself in their position,” she said. “You have to think about how you would like your loved one to be treated, and try and keep them calm and well informed. I think part of it is they’re terrified. They’re not used to this, this isn’t a normal setting for them, while it is for us. 

“You have to try and tune into what their fear is, what their anxiety is. I think if they’ve been in something like an RTA (road traffic accident) they’re worried about the other people and they’d be worried about their car or their possessions or they’d be worried about their family, if they know where they are yet. You have to tune into all that, whilst getting on with the job. 

“It’s very important, particularly if you have an acutely ill patient, to get as much done within the first hour. We talk about the ‘golden hour’, if they’re very ill. So you have to balance both things.”

Summer can be a particularly busy time for any x-ray department, with growing children off on their school holidays keeping radiographers busy up and down the land. SWAH is no exception, although children aren’t the only reason it’s a busy season for the local department. 

“It’s busy in the summer, absolutely,” she said. “Trampolines, bicycles, quads, football – we see a lot of boys and girls. As well as that, we get a lot of tourists. We get a lot of people who come to Fermanagh for the lakes and the camping and caravans, and the fishing. You get to meet a lot of people from all around the world, which you wouldn’t imagine. So that’s very interesting.” 

Ms Phair said one of the things patients were most astonished about when they visited the x-ray department for the first time was the state-of-the-art technology at the hospital, with technological advances the biggest development in her almost two decades as a radiographer. 

“Coming from the Erne, for us one of the biggest changes was the jump in technology,” she said, explaining how the days of printing out an x-ray photograph had holding it up against a light, like we know from TV and films, were long gone. 

 “Radiography is very technology based. There’s a lot of computer work and a lot of very advanced equipment. It’s now film-less and paper-less. We do try to be environmentally friendly and cost-effective.

“When we came out here [to the SWAH] every piece of equipment, bar two pieces, was brand new. So we had to not only orientate ourselves in a new building, but also learn how to use the equipment, and you do get applications specialist.”

Ms Phair added: “I’ve seen so much in the past 15 years, it’s very exciting to think if as much happened in the next 15 years where we could go. I suppose the sky’s the limit with radiography. As soon as you get a new piece of equipment, a new piece that’s more advanced has already been created. 

“So you’re constantly keeping on top of new equipment, new techniques. It’s ever changing, especially for new recruits. I’d encourage anyone, it really is a great career.”

The Monaghan woman, who studied for a Bachelor of Science in diagnostic radiography, said she would certainly recommend her career path to any dedicated young students, and said the SWAH regularly took in students on placement. 

Warning you had to be willing to work unsociable hours, and “if you’re a person who likes their bed at night” it may not be for you, Ms Phair had the following advice for prospective radiographers:  “You have to be able to work with people, communicate well, work with a team, be able to put people at ease, be able to read them well. 

“Every patient is different, you have to try to get clued in to what their needs are and make sure they have left the department knowing exactly what happens next, when they will get the results and leave no question unanswered. If you can go the extra mile to do something extra to help them out, by all means do that.”