please advise best direction to transition to Rad Nursing

DeterminedOne · Nov 11, 2003

Hi firstmate -

I'm not sure why you think you need to go to radiology school to work in the cath lab. If you are a nurse, would you be functioning as a nurse in the cath lab? If so, you would probably be trained by other nurses in the cath lab. Or are you saying you want to work as a radiology tech in the cath lab? If that's the case, then yes you would have to go to radiology or cardiovascular tech school. Nurses can scrub in and assist the physicians with procedures in the cath lab, but where I come from nurses are not allowed to fluoro - so the radiology techs scrub in.

I also started as a telemetry nurse many years ago - also did some ICU, supervising, etc... but had no problem at all transitioning to the cath lab.

Good luck!

Editorial Team / Admin · Nov 11, 2003

What DeterminedOne said.

Decide whether you want to be a Special Procedures Radiologic Technologist or a Radiology Nurse or a Cath Lab Nurse.

Good luck!

firstmate · Nov 12, 2003

Maybe my question should be more if there are any nurses out there working as both? I went to an information session at rad school and the instructor said that there is a need for both rad tech/ RN need. Is anyone out there doing both? What is your pay range? stress level ? How do you do function and where do you work? I suppose my first step should be to shadow a few RN 's then work there as an RN and decide from there if I would like to obtain more training.

thank you all for your imput !!!:)

Editorial Team / Admin · Nov 30, 2003

Sorry for such a belated response. At the places I've worked (four so far, in 25 yr), the Rad Techs and RNs had separate duties. We all watched/monitored the pt during exams, of course. The Techs were responsible for helping with set-up and for helping the Radiologist acquire diagnostic imaging. The pt was ultimately the RNs responsibility. It would be stressful, IMO, to perform as BOTH the Tech and RN. Exams that require moderate sedation are mandated (by JCAHO, I believe) to have the RN's only function/duty be that of monitoring the pt. S/he is to have no other duties (scrubbing in, etc) that may distract from monitoring the pt.

One thing I wonder re: the person who said there's a need for a Tech/RN combo. Would the facility pay you tech PLUS RN wages?? I think not. It would be to their financial advantage to pay one person who will perform (read: take on the stresses of) both functions. IMO.

Hope that helps. Again, good luck. (have you decided anything for sure yet, and have you started?) -- D