CAREERS IN RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY
•RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGIST
–RADIOGRAPHER
–X-RAY TECHNOLOGIST
•“ TECHNICIAN”
–Limited License
•RADIOLOGIST
–Medical doctor
What does a
Radiologic
Technologist
do?
A “Radiologic Technologist”
(or Radiographer)
• Medical Professional
–In a challenging field
• Safely uses x-rays to image anatomy
–Positions
–Using sophisticated technology
–Practices radiation protection
•Provides quality-diagnostic images
–Assists DR
–Communicates with patient
–Practices patient privacy
Registered Technologist
R.T.
•Dawn Charman, M.Ed., RT (R)(M), CRT(R)(F)
•Kelly Clark, M.S.R.T. RT (R)(CT), CRT(R)(F)
•Mina Colunga, B.S.R.T. RT (R), CRT(R)(F)
ARRT – R.T.
State of California– C.R.T.
Radiologic Technologist
•ECC program is for an entry level into the profession
•Radiation Therapy and Nuclear Medicine would require additional education
Certification/licenses
•ARRT- American Registry of Radiologic Technologies
–Provides national certification
•CRT-- California Registered Technologist
–After completing ARRT exam you pay a fee and get your California license to
practice
–A separate test is taken for fluoroscopy
Certification vs. License
•ARRT
–National certification
•R.T.
–Must take an exam
•Pass with 75%
–Can take this after completing program
EXAMS
&
All types of
PEOPLE
•Infants
•Elderly
•All classes
•All ethnicity
•All backgrounds
•Head to toes
•Trauma
•Special procedures
•Critical patients
•Walk ins
•Surgery
Critical Thinking
•Involves sound, professional judgment
•Applied with high ethical standard
•And integrity
Critical Thinking
•Analysis
•Synthesis
•Evaluation
•Critique
•Achieved through
–Role Playing
–Lab experiments
–Case Studies
Patient Communication
•Interacting with the patient
•Interacting with family and friends
•Methods of Effective Communication
•Age as a factor in Patient Interactions
Communication & Adapting
to Special Condition Patients
•Traumatized Patients
•Visually Impaired Patients
•Speech and Hearing Impaired Patients
•Non-English Speaking Patients
•Mentally Impaired Patients
•Substance Abusers
Education in the Radiologic Sciences at ECC
•Didactic Curriculum (lecture)
–Specifically describes the objectives
–What the students will learn
–How they will learn (instructional activities)
•Clinical
–Hospital training
–Apply didactic principals to clinical setting
RT Programs
Didactic and Clinical Education
Types of
Diagnostic Exams
•Chest
•Extremities
•Skull/ Facial
•Spine
•Gastrointestinal
•Interventional
LEARNING
•COGNITIVE –
–thought / knowledge
•PSYCHOMOTOR –
– physical actions
•AFFECTIVE –
–guided by feelings
Comminuted
ELDERLY
INFANTS &
CHILDREN
Open
Fluoroscopy
TECHNOLOGIST
•FLUOROSCOPY
•Dawn Charman RT (R), (F)
•CONTRAST MEDIA (X-RAY DYE)
ARRT Standards
Accrediting Agencies
•Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology
(JRCNMT)
•Committee on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) in
collaboration with the Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical
Sonography (JRC-DMS)
•Regional Institutional Accrediting Agencies (degree-granting divisions) WSAC
•Conjoint Accreditation Services of the Canadian Medical Association
•Australian Institute of Radiography
Accrediting Agencies
•SCHOOLS/PROGRAMS
•JRCERT: Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology
•HOSPITAL ACCREDITATION
•JCAHO :Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare (Hospital) Organizations
“Alphabet Soup”
NATIONAL & STATE LICENSES
ARRT = (R.T.)
American Registry of Radiologic Technology
R.T. – Certification in Radiologic Technology
CRT – Certified Radiologic Technology
State of California, Dept of Health - Radiation Health Branch
–
Licensing to practice in California
C.R.T. (R) (F) (M)
Radiography, Fluoroscopy, Mammography
5 Primary Exams
• Radiography (R)
•Nuclear Medicine Technology (NM)
•Radiation Therapy (T)
•Sonography (US)
(RDMS)
•Magnetic Resonance Imaging
(MR)
Post Primary
•Cardiovascular-Interventional Radiography (CVIT)
–Note: No longer available for new candidates
•Mammography
•Computed
(M)
Tomography(CT)
•Magnetic Resonance Imaging
–Note:
(MR) or (MRI)
Both a primary and post-primary track
•Quality Management (QM)
•Sonography (US) or (RDMS)
–Note:
Both a primary and post-primary track
•Bone Densitometry (BD)
•Vascular Sonography
•
•Cardiac-Interventional Radiography
(CI)
•Vascular-Interventional
•Breast
Radiography (VI)
Sonography
•Registered
Radiologist Assistant (RA)
“Alphabet Soup”
KNOW THESE!
J.R.C.E.R.T Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology
J.C.A.H.O –
Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
A.R.R.TAmerican Registry of Radiologic Technologists
Beyond Diagnostic Radiography
Advanced Modalities
ADVANCED SKILL LEVELS
•CAT SCAN (CT)
•MRI (MR)
•ANGIOGRAPHY (CIT) (CV)
•RADIATION THERAPY (T)
•MAMMOGRAPHY (M)
•Bone Densitometry (BD)
•ULTRASOUND (RDMS)
•NUCLEAR MEDICINE(NM)
–PET
–SPECT
•MANAGEMENT (BS)
•EDUCATION (BS,MEd, PhD EDD)
MAMMOGRAPHY
Dawn Charman, RT (M)
RADIOGRAPHIC IMAGING OF THE BREAST
Diagnostic for breast cancer
Bone Densitometry
BONE DENSITOMETRY
•JOE RUIZ, RT (R) (BD)
•POST PRIMARY EXAM BEGAN IN JANUARY 2001
•??? May also have certification w/o RT ????
•MEASURING MINERAL CONTENT AND DENSITY OF BONES
Computed Tomography
•Kelly Clark, RT (R) (CT)
•1995 began post primary exam
CT SCANNER
•USES
•RADIATION – AND A COMPUTER
•TO RECONSTRUCT
•IMAGES
•3-D
C T SCANNER
Electron Beam Tomography
Risk factor
•HIGH DOSES ?
•WHAT YOU DON’T
•KNOW …….
•‘FALSE POSITIVE’S”
•NOW THAT YOU KNOW – WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT? =
Radiation Dose
•EBT scans expose the patient to about 1/5th the radiation of a multi-slice CT scanner.
•OR so they tell you..
•$$$$$$$$
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
•RT (R) (MRI) or
•RT (T) (MRI) or (N) (MRI)
•1995 ARRT began post primary exams
MRI SIGNAL PRODUCTION
•Images are crated by interaction of Magnet field, radio waves with tissue
•Atoms – Nucleus – Electrons
MRI SAFETY
USE NON MAGNETIC MATERIALS
CAN CAUSE HARM TO PATIENT & PERSONELL
MRI
•NOT IONIZING RADIATION
•USES MAGENTIC RESONANCE
• (RADIO WAVES)
•Jane Schultz, R.T. (MR)
PET Scan & SPECT Scan
•PET = Positron Emission Tomography
•Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography
•X-rays/MRI with Radioisotopes
•PET Scan showing diffuse spread of prostate cancer to bone. PET has the advantage
over traditional bone scanning in its ability to differentiate active from dormant disease.
ANGIOGRAPHY/ CARDIOVASCULAR INTERVENTIONAL TECHNOLOGY
CARDIAC-INTERVENTIONAL RADIOGRAPHY
• Mike Smith, RT (R) (CI)
•POST PRIMARY EXAM BEGAN IN JANUARY 2003
INTERVENTIONAL
RADIOGRAPHY
•ANGIOGRAPHY
•CARDIAC CATH
•+ MANY OTHERS
•RT (CV) (CIT) (CVIT)
ANGIOGRAPHY is a specialized radiographic examination where the images of the
blood vessels of the body are demonstrated by injection of contrast media
Cardiovascular Interventional Radiography
•Jane Smith, RT (R) (CVI)
•Angiography
•1991 began post primary exam for CVIT Radiographers
Angiography of Heart vessels
•http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/images/st
ent_restenosis.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/stents/stents_
all.html&usg=__xDlbsaX9JhuYbpVojLcz19aprI=&h=513&w=450&sz=59&hl=en&start=20&tbnid=vWwqaG-RNW7MM:&tbnh=131&tbnw=115&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dabdominal%2Bstents%26gbv%3D2
%26hl%3Den
Angiography
VASCULAR-INTERVENTIONAL RADIOGRAPHY
•JOE CAR, RT (R) (VI)
•POST PRIMARY EXAM BEGAN IN JANUARY 2003
Nuclear Medicine
•RT (NM)
•ARRT or NMTCB
NM – Images collected after
injections of a RADIOISOTOPE
The tracer travels into the blood vessels until it arrives to the bone
PET Scan & SPECT Scan
•PET = Positron Emission Tomography
•Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography
Prostate cancer metastasized in bones
RADIATION
THERAPY
R.T.(T)
•2 YRS ADDITIONAL EDUCATION
•CITY OF HOPE
•LLU
•CAL STATE LONG BEACH
•The branch of Radiology that involves the treatment of disease by means of high
energy x-rays or radioactive substances
RADIATION THERAPY
•branch of Radiology that involves the treatment of disease by means of high energy xrays (GAMMA) or radioactive substances
Radiation Therapy
•RT (T) = Registered technologist in radiation therapy technology
•Medical dosimetrists are involved in treatment planning and dose calculations
•1-4 year program
ULTRASOUND
Cypress College
Orange Coast
LLU
1 – 2 years
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
•RT (R) (S) or RT (S) or (RDMS)
•American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
•ARRT in 1999 began post primary exam
•ARRT in 2005 began primary exam
ULTRASOUND
19 Week fetus
•http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/movies/u
sound/19weeklabel2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/movies/usound/
Hum19w4D.htm&usg=__EfDiZ2qdLFEQ_ZGPy9YS628QyPI=&h=379&w=358&sz=11
&hl=en&start=71&tbnid=QqSTbyckVIjYM:&tbnh=123&tbnw=116&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dfetal%2Bultrasound%26gbv%3D
2%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D60
2D vs. 3D/4D
U/S & the “real thing”
Breast Sonography
•Post Primary Exam
•Valuable for Technologists that specialize in Mammography
VASCULAR ULTRASOUND
New - RA
•Radiology Assistant (Like PA)
•Weber State (On line – Utah)
•LLU
•3 others in US (2007 – more)
•$$$$ NEW GRADS = 100 K/YEAR (?)
•PART OF RADIOLOGIST GROUP
•As of 2007 – NOT APPROVED BY STATE to Work as RA in California
Additional Opportunities
•Education
•Administration
•Management (QM)
•Commercial
•Radiologist Assistant = RA
RADIOLOGY ASSISTANT RA
•LLU
•2 YRS RT
•BA DEGREE
•WEBER STATE
•6YR RT
OTHER PATHWAYS
•SALES
•APPLICATIONS SPECIALIST
•INDUSTRIAL X-RAY
•MANAGEMENT (DEGREE)
•EDUCATON
Other working opportunities…
•Registry (local)
•Registry (out of state)
•X rays taken around the world !!
Variety of Work Settings
•physicians offices,
•
•clinical outpatient facilities,
•free standing imaging centers,
•mobile imaging centers
•portable services to rehabs
•Mammo’s to under privileged areas
•Urgent care
SALARY RANGES RT’s
•NEW R.T. = $ 25 -$38 PER HOUR
•ON-CALL + O.T. $45,000 – $60,000 YR
•ADVANCE SPECIALTIES
•$ 30 - $50 PER HOUR
•A GREAT SHORTAGE IN ALL HEALTH CARE – A GREAT NEED TO
AQUIRE NEW TECHNOLOGIST TO THIS AREA
Professional Organizations
•ASRT – American Society of Radiologic Technologist
•CSRT – California Society
Society of Radiologic Technologists
•RTEC – Radiologic Technology Educators of California
•International Societies, other state societies, other modalities