Job description?

Editorial Team / Admin · Sep 15, 2002

Hi, sorry for such a late reply, I don't check this area out very often, even tho I am a Rad. nurse. Radiology nursing responsibilities vary widely depending on the facility. Most are procedure-driven: giving mild or moderate sedation for exams or interventional procedures, doing pt. education re: procedures. You may work in CT starting IVs and monitoring for contrast reactions (a lot of places have the techs doing this now, as long as a Radiologist is in the immediate area). In some facilities the cath lab is combined with the Rad. Dept so you'd be involved in heart caths/permanent pacemakers/AICD implants (automatic implanted cardiac defibrillators) and possibly interventional cardiology procedures.

We train on-the-job at our hospital but require at least one year of ICU nursing (or ED or PACU) before we'll hire. Must know cardiac rhythms, have ACLS/BLS; we'll hone your sterile technique for the cases that require a near-surgical scrub. These days we rarely scrub w/the Rads or Cards but you may scrub in and assist on some cases where the MD needs a hand. It's a busy, varied, always interesting specialty!! You will use a LOT of different skills. Good luck with your schooling (you'll never stop learning!!). You'll be exposed to several areas in school; don't have to choose now, you'll be impressed with one field or another while in nursing. You may like Psych nursing, ICU, GI Lab (also procedure-driven), OR, ER and/or trauma nursing, Med-Surg, Peds, NICU, . . . Ah, choices!!

ashemson · Sep 16, 2002

Thank you for the info. I was looking into this, and couldn't really find out what type of schooling it required or anything. So you have to have a nursing degree, right? Then you specialize in the radiology field? Or like you said, on the job training? This is all so new to me, I think I will never get this figured out!

Editorial Team / Admin · Sep 16, 2002

Sorry - yes, you must have your RN before you can apply. Duties and responsibilities in the Rad. Dept are an extension of the skills acquired in other areas in the hospital. Most depts do train on-the-job, building on previous experience and skills (nothing like being redundant!! :) ). See if there are any Rad nurses in one of your local hospitals, and then ask if you can follow one around for half a day, a whole day or whatever. Most (I would hope!!) would accommodate you, as you WILL be entering the field! That might give you a better idea of what to expect, in general. :) :)