Studying and needing information

Rocknurse, MSN, APRN, NP · Jul 7, 2015

I think most people, from whatever country they're from, would agree that it's probably best to become a nurse first, and worry about specialization later. Not to discourage you at all, because it's awesome to have a goal, but nursing is a tough program and by the end of it you might have changed your mind completely about which field you want to go into. Having said that, in school it was my dream to become an ICU nurse and I did so, although it took me more than 10 years to get the opportunity. I don't know a lot about radiology nurses shifts and my only contact with them was when I took ICU patients down for scans, and they seemed to do a lot of lifting on an off the machine, and injecting contrast. In my experience it was the radiology techs that had more interaction with the actual procedures and the nurse was the run around. Perhaps I'm mistaken but that's been my experience and observation anyway. What is it that attracts you to radiology?

klone, MSN, RN · Jul 7, 2015

I've never heard of a radiology nurse. It's rad techs that do everything, from positioning the patient to running the equipment.

Maybe it's different in Australia.

K+MgSO4, BSN · Jul 7, 2015

Radiology nurses scrub for interventional radiology procedures and the immediate post op care. The hours depend on a mass of things, such as where you practice a major public metro hospital will be different to a suburban private center. You work in radiology. If the radiographer goes to theatre it is usually only to shoot images there is no role for a radiology nurse there. You need to get through your grad year first. Nights depends on the roster planning of the NUM, most Australian hospitals do rotational shifts. There is no "popular" specialities it depends on the nurse. Personally I am a surgical ward nurse, hate general medical wards, however a fery good friend of mine hates surgical patients and loves chronic disease so works on a respiratory ward.

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Jul 7, 2015

I don't know what the job market is like in Australia, but here in the US there is no nursing shortage. I don't encourage anyone to become a nurse if they have their heart set on one specialty. I don't have any actual data on this, but I've heard a fair amount of "I want to be a NICU nurse," or "labor & delivery," etc. My question is, would you still want to be a nurse if you knew in advance that the job you would find would be in long term care or home care? If the answer is no, you might be setting yourself up for disappointment. Besides, nursing education is generalized. We go to school to be nurses, and we learn a specialty when we start training at the job we take.

I've never seen a nurse in the CT or MRI area like Rocknurse above has; wherever I've worked, as an ICU nurse I bring and stay with my own patient. The rad techs do much of the lifting and positioning, and they push their own contrast. As the nurse, I make sure they have an IV free for them to give the drug through (I can't have another drug infusing through it.)

Nurses work in interventional radiology areas, for example if the patient has an aneurysm that needs to be coiled. I don't know many hospitals to hire new grads for procedural areas. In fact, many job postings I've seen require previous procedural experience or ICU experience.

It's a fine goal, just know that it could (or will) take more time and effort than just nursing school.

I'm not sure on the hours; they are often staffed 24 hours, especially in trauma centers, because these procedures can happen emergently. It's possible that the night RN could be on call -- either in the hospital or able to arrive in a specified amount of time, but I've never worked it.

As far as specialties that require less nights, positions often go to experienced RNs. Clinics, public health, same-day surgery, advanced practice roles such as nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialists (nurse anesthetists or nurse midwives do work nights), research, visiting home health nurse (as opposed to private duty)...

Most nursing roles do require nights. Sorry. :sorry: