Help! Interview with Radiology department for RN position!

[aikz]

Hi everyone,

I just got a call from NY Eye and Ear Infirmary in NYC for an interview. It's for a per diem RN position 9a-1p. I applied to this facility but for inpatient unit. I was surprised! Something completely different and I have no ICU/ER experience. I have 1.5 years of med/surg experience and trained on a telemetry unit for 6 weeks but we also float almost every week to telemetry units. I've been pulled to the ER once to help out. I only have my BCLS but working to get my ACLS sometime this month or next month. Even though this was totally something different than what I had originally applied for, I decided to schedule the interview and give it a try. I'm still young and I want to learn as much as possible! Don't want to waste the opportunity if it comes. Won't hurt to just interview and ask questions.

My question is: what does a radiology nurse do? I work night shift and usually don't interact with any radiology nurses. Only thing I know of is that radiology nurses start IV's, monitor patients during IV contrast, etc. Anything else I should do? Is it usually busy? how is the pace? What kind of questions do you think they will ask me?

[S.G.]

WOW Thanks for all your replies :-)

I am from New Zealand, and a student, so please excuse me/bare with me if I use different words.

What I meant was would having experience in an operating room be an advantage?

Do you enjoy the work? Do you have favorite parts or least favorite parts of the job?

Also do you rotate between angio, CT, MRI, etc?

Thanks again for your time it is greatly appreciated!!!

I loved working in radiology. The amount of autonomy is wonderful. We rotated between angio, ct, us, MRI, and diagnostic imaging.

I've never worked in the OR so can't say if that experience would be valuable. In angio, our rad techs set up the sterile field and scrubbed with the radiologist. Another rad tech circulated to get different wires etc. the nurses monitored the patient. We administered versed and fentanyl, anticoagulants (heparin IV, alteplase), reversal agents, antihypertensives, vasopressors, and other meds.

I did not enjoy taking call but the job itself was great. We had some issues with rad techs being disrespectful to nurses and not helping with patient care (like cleaning patients up). It's a scary place to have a code but exhilarating work overall :)

[ronsrn]

Funny SG

Those damn rad techs i hear you 100% but our overall supv was an RN and many of them got the turf - we all gotta geet along

[S.G.]

Funny SG

Those damn rad techs i hear you 100% but our overall supv was an RN and many of them got the turf - we all gotta geet along

We had a nurse manager for the nurses and there was a separate supervisor fur the rad techs. Our director of imaging was actually an EMT.

My biggest issue was that I was just finishing up a case and we had a pt in the bay waiting for transport ask for a bedpan. I asked the rad techs if they could help her. They said sure. They handed the bedpan to her and told her to get herself onto it and to wait for the nurse. I was furious. She had vre and urine got everywhere. Their supervisor told them they needed to do better with patient care but they all thought and acted like it was strictly a nursing job. Anywhere but angio they helped! I imagine that's different from facility to facility though. For the most part we worked together well. It was a small department, no choice but to work together!