You Are Not Alone

Specialties Radiology

Published

:D I just wanted all you radiology nurses to know.. your not alone. In the dealings I've had with radiology nurses, it seems we all have the same dilemmas. I truely love my job in the radiology department and I wouldn't want to do any other type of nursing. It is challenging and ever changing. I do however, dislike the fact that sometimes I'm made to feel that the department doesn't wasnt or need me until there is a crisis. I've offered to take my limited license in radiology to be able to help out with taking x-rays. The response was less than overwelming. I don't know I guess I just needed to whine.:p

RNforLongTime

1,577 Posts

Specializes in Med-Surg Nursing.

Hey Rad--why don't you volunteer to be the moderator for this board? Brian would love it? Just a suggestion.

Kelly:)

dstrick8

5 Posts

I have recently left the teaching field (high school) for various reasons...teaching basically does not interest me! I have now worked myself into a frenzy deciding what i should go back to school to pursue. I love the idea of radiology...maybe furthering into radiation therapy. Yet, i also like the idea of being a nurse. so naturally i am thinking...radiologic nurse. But my instincts tell me not to go the nursing the route at all...radiologic tech would be the best start. UGHHHH! There are so many bad things said about nursing field right now. Basically...are you happy as a rad nurse? As a nurse, what would you do to get a licensure with Rad? Is it best to go into a hospital enviroment as a nurse to gain experience before going Rad. What would you do? I am going crazy trying to decide. Can you help educate this teacher????ha!:confused:

radnurse2001

98 Posts

Well, I do like my job. I am however going to get a limited license in the technical aspect. I would then be able to take X-rays of extremities and chests. The feild of radiology nursing is very diverse. I do not deal with any radiation oncology. I sedate children and adults for tests (ie claustophobic, uncooperative etc....) work in the angiography lab, start IV lines, deal with contrast reactions, put ng tubes down (for entercolysis), do the radiologists job in relation to medical aspects( they are really good at reading films but thats about it), provide the department with medical training, maintain ther crash cart, write protocols etc...... I am sorry I am going on about this, but I think it's really facinating. I did 7 years as a staff nurse before comming here, and it did help. I think you need a base in patient care before having to take all the job requirements on. There may be alot of problems in nursing right now, butr there is also alot of jobs and opportunities. I cant stress enough that nursing isn't about the money though. You either love it or hate it. For more information about radiology nursing I suggest you visit http://www.arna.net. It is our website for radiology nurses. It is sponsered by the american radiological nurses association. Good luck. If you have any more questions don't be afraid to ask.

dstrick8

5 Posts

Thanks radnurse2001 for the info! I have been accepted into a nursing program beginning in May (good ways off) but of course this will give time to complete 3 biologys that i lack. The Rad program starts in May also. So i do have some time to ponder. You are right...nursing isn't about money...of course teaching wasn't either!ha! I would like to do some job shadowing. I think this will help. I'll let ya know how it goes! Thanks again! :D :D

midnightkk

18 Posts

Hi,

I am very new to this bulletin board. I would like to link together with other Radiology nurses. I have worked in Radiology nursing for 8 years and I love it. I worked 6 of those years at a major teaching hospital, doing many different procedures from inserting GDC coils in cerebral aneurysms, basic femoral angiograms, and plasties, and the list goes on and on. I now work in a community hospital (closer to where I live), in radiology as the Clincal Resourse Nurse. :) Despite everything you hear about nursing, I love my job.

radnurse2001

98 Posts

:D I am so glad to meet you. I really like communicating with other radiology nurses to exchange ideas, to vent, etc. I don't think other nurses fully understand the stresses of our job. It is really nice to meet you, hopefully we can chat more in the future. I have a question for you---Do you routinely get BUN and creatinine prior to CAT scan with contrast, and who orders it. Our CT department is really busy and I am trying to get Dr's offices to do this prior to the patients comming in. Any ideas? My personal e-mail is [email protected]. You may also want to check out http://www.arna.net.It is all radiology nursing. Did you go to San Antonio this year? I did and it was wonderful. Hope to hear from you soon.

Anne Patterson RN, CRN:)

midnightkk

18 Posts

Anne,

This is a copy of an earlier posting of mine. If you have any further questions I will be glad to answer them. I also am happy to make a new radiology nurse aquaintance. No, I was not able to go to the conference. Our hospital is lacking money, like everywhere else. I do belong to the ARNA, and am trying to get the hospital to pay for this years dues. How many nurses work in your dept? Are they full or part time?

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At our hospital, we fill out a precontrast questionnaire. If a patient has any impaired renal function, or renal

disease, or one kidney, or if they are receiving the medication - metphormine(glucaphage) then we need a

creatinine. This is picked up while doing the screening form. Our booking office will also alert us if a patient

is diabetic, then it is the RN's responsibility to phone the patient and see if they are taking metphormine,

then we arrange to have the patient go for bloodwork and the results are faxed to our Diagnostic Imaging

Dept.. The creatinine has to be within 3 months. If it hasn't been done within the last 3 months, we do it

stat. We do not have any protocol for rehydrating the patient. I hope this answers some of your

questions.:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :) :) :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :p :p

radnurse2001

98 Posts

We have three full time nurses in our deparment. I basically handle radiology--ie sedation (adult and pediatric) ivp's vcug's, iv starts etc.... The other two do special procedures and one of them floats to radiology when I need them Our radiology department won't pay my due to arna however, they did pay for two of us to go to San Antonio. Thanjks for the info on BUN and Creatnine. Do you get you questioaires in advance? Who is you manager?s it another rad nurse or are you under a different dept?

thanks

Anne

midnightkk

18 Posts

Hi Anne,

The precontrast questionnaires are in the nursing station and we fill them out when the patient arrives in the dept. I am the Clinical Resource Nurse for the Dept. I basically make any decisions to do with nursing. We have a manager, who comes from a background of radiology technologist. She is manager of the whole Diagnostic Imaging Dept. which includes general radiology, ultrasound, bone densitromity, fine needle mammo biopsies, CT scan, angio & special procedures, and an MRI is coming in Feb 2002. It is interesting to here that you focus on the areas that exclude special procedures, as we are starting something similiar as one of the RN's (4 more years till she retires), does not work out too well doing those procedures, and needs more of a focus, we are also getting a new CT Scan (for Xmas)so she will focus on that and organizing policies. The new scan will be faster, we then will need to get the patients ready quicker. It will suit her to the T...I better go, it is late, and I am going camping with a Scout Troop on friday after work, I still need to pack.

Have a great weekend!!

:p :p :p :p

radnurse2001

98 Posts

Is the manager an RN? Have fun on your camping trip. How do you handle delays with having to get a BUN and Creatinine upon patient arrival? Thanks for all the info.

Anne

midnightkk

18 Posts

Hi,

The manager of our Dept is a radiology technologist who has been moving up in heirarchy. She is close to retirement. If a patient needs a creat & BUN done, it depends on what time of day it is as the RN's go home by 16:30. A stat bld test could take anywhere from 1/2 hour to an hour, but usually an hour.

Camping was great even though it rained on Sat, at least we were all set up. We had shelter for cooking and had nice warm fires. I did have to play nurse on Sat evening, 3 scouters stumbled upon a hornets nest that was in the ground.....One boy came out screaming, they were trapped in his clothes, in sucession another boy came and then a third. I had to brush them off one of the boys as they wouldn't let go....It was quite horrific!!!The good part is that there were no major allergic reactions, just small localized ones. One boy with 4 bites went a bit shocky, shaking etc., I held him til he calmed down. Another boy, who got bit on his ear, kept thinking that there was one still there.....

Adieus

KK

:(

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