Radiology tech, vs Radiology Nurse??

mattm89 · Feb 19, 2009

I'm currently in school to be an xray tech...would it be smart to go into nursing school after that to become a radiology nurse? Do you need to have your license to be a rad tech in order to be a rad nurse or am I essentially wasting my time in school to be a tech if I plan on being a rad nurse? Also, what is the salary difference and would I actually be making more money being a rad nurse with the tech degree than I would if I were to be a rad nurse without the tech degree?

nnicolee · Jul 17, 2009

mattm89 said:
I'm currently in school to be an xray tech...would it be smart to go into nursing school after that to become a radiology nurse? Do you need to have your license to be a rad tech in order to be a rad nurse or am I essentially wasting my time in school to be a tech if I plan on being a rad nurse? Also, what is the salary difference and would I actually be making more money being a rad nurse with the tech degree than I would if I were to be a rad nurse without the tech degree?

Hi Matt, I was wondering the same thing. Radiology intrigues me and I don't want to waste my time doing one route then have to go back to school and start all over again for another route ?

Editorial Team / Admin · Jul 17, 2009

Not necessary to be a Rad. Tech first.

They are two VERY different jobs, different job descriptions, different responsibilities, different focus, different scope of practice.

If you want to be a Radiology Nurse you must become an RN first.

After getting an RN, it is helpful to have worked as an RN before working in Radiology, as you will be expected to triage situations and function fairly autonomously (working within dept protocols).

Contact area Radiology Depts and ask the nurses what the requirements would be if one wanted to work for their dept as a Radiology Nurse.

Good luck. :)

Chapis · Jul 28, 2009

why do rad. tech's make more than rn's? please educate me as i don't know, imo i think the rn has more on their hands then a rad. tech, so why the big difference in pay? does anyone know?

sorry, after i poseted this i noticed that the subject was radiology, and i was talking about radiation therapist. but if anyone knows, why do the radiation therapists make about more than rn's, once again, i think the rn's have way more on their plate, but i really don't know all that a radiation therapist work is like?

thanks

maemae25 · May 11, 2010

I am in school to become a radiolog tech. and i recently became interested in becoming a radiology nurse. Can anyone one help me out with the steps i need to take to move closer to my goal.

Thank you

Maemae

Crux1024 · May 13, 2010

maemae25 said:
I am in school to become a radiolog tech. and i recently became interested in becoming a radiology nurse. Can anyone one help me out with the steps i need to take to move closer to my goal.
Thank you
Maemae

You're going to need to go back to nursing school. Unfortunately, there is no shortcut into being a nurse. Check your local community college, OR is you have a bachelors already, an accelerated BSN.

xraynurse · Nov 30, 2011

I don't know if you will get this message but I also have been an xray tech for 20 years and will graduate from nursing school next week. I don't really want to completely give up xray but love the patient care of nursing. I may have opportunity to work in our hospitals GI lab since they will have their own carm suite soon. I didn't know if there is any precedence for RT/RN dual certification positions. My boss offered to follow up with my CEU's for the GI lab position.