OCCUPATIONAL SUMMARY

(Reference:  THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS by Boyles, Morgan and McCaulley)

Radiologist:  A doctor of medicine or osteopathy who specializes in the use of x-rays and other ionizing and non ionizing radiation in the diagnosis and treatment of disease.

Radiologic Technologist:  A generic term encompassing technically trained persons specializing in radiography, radiation therapy, and/or nuclear medicine who work under the direction of a physician qualified to order and perform radiologic procedures.

Radiographer (Diagnostic Radiographic Technologist, X-ray Technologist):  A technically trained person who, under the supervision of a radiologist, maintains and safely uses equipment and supplies necessary to demonstrate portions of the human body on x-ray film, computers or fluoroscopic screens for diagnostic purposes.

Radiation Therapy Technologist or Radiation Therapist:  A radiologic technologist who assists physicians in the treatment of diseases, such as certain types of cancer, by administering prescribed doses of radiation to the affected areas of the body.

Nuclear Medicine Technologist:  A technically prepared individual who performs a variety of diagnostic tests and some therapeutic procedures using radioactive compounds in pharmaceutical form.

INTRODUCTION:      Radiologic technologists are health professionals whose broad interests and capabilities encompass the use of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, particularly x-rays and radionuclides, in diagnosis and therapy.  Within this general category are radiographers, radiation therapy technologists, and nuclear medicine technologists.

Radiographers make up the largest group.  Their principal duties consist of performing x-ray examinations of patients under the direction of a doctor of medicine, osteopathy, or veterinary science, usually a radiologist, whom they also assist in fluoroscopic examinations and in special radiographic procedures, some of which are quite complex.  Most of these technologists are employed in hospitals, clinics, and physicians' offices.

The second group, the radiation therapy technologists, assist the therapeutic radiologists in the treatment of patients usually in health centers involved in the management of patients afflicted with cancer.

The third group consists of nuclear medicine technologists, who administer radiopharmaceuticals to perform diagnostic imaging and laboratory examinations.

RADIOGRAPHERS:  Tasks performed by radiographers vary.  The radiographer must know how to perform all types of x-ray examinations and must also be able to handle seriously ill and injured patients.  They must obtain the maximum amount of image information without injury to the patient and with the least amount of pain and discomfort from the examination.  The radiographer, who assists the radiologist or other specialist in some of the complex procedures, often involving the injection of opaque media through needles or catheters, must be well trained and experienced in aseptic techniques, requiring skills often comparable to those of nurses in some specialties.

The radiographer in the hospital or office works on patients in radiographic-fluoroscopic rooms and frequently has other duties, such as film procession, checking and filing of radiographs (exposed x-ray films) and other responsibilities, depending on the size and nature of the department.  Most are employed for a 40-hour week, but since emergencies occur at any time of day or night, radiographers may also be on call for night, weekend, and holiday coverage.  When such is the case, compensatory time off or additional financial compensation is usually allowed. Large departments often employ radiographers just for this type of coverage.

Special imaging procedures, which encompass many types of examinations, are challenging to enterprising radiographers who wish to develop special skills.  In larger hospital departments such radiographers often devote the major portion of their time to assisting radiologists and other specialists in procedures, such as vascular catheterization, myelography (spinal canal studies), and cerebral angiography (brain studies).  The development of computed axial tomography (CAT scanning) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and other advanced techniques such as thermography, xerography, and the use of ultrasound, have brought about a corresponding need for radiographers in these areas, even though all do not involve ionizing radiation.