You Have 3 Minutes Radiologic Technologist

Julie Ostrowski^*
*Correspondence: Julie Ostrowski, Department of Radiology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States, Email:

Keywords

Good attitude • Professionalism • Education • Patient

Introduction

Radiologic technologists are skilled medical imaging professionals who are critical components of radiology teams. Medical imaging and radiology, while relatively new fields, have revolutionized medicine in a short period of time, such that today, medical imaging is used across all stages of the healthcare process and across disciplines. Given the breadth of uses for medical imaging in healthcare, it is no wonder that radiologic technologists have an extraordinarily large scope of practice. Radiologic technologists are certified to work in specific imaging specialities called modalities and these include X-ray, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computed Tomography (CT), mammography, ultrasound, fluoroscopy, nuclear medicine, interventional radiology, Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and angiography. Many technologists are certified to work in multiple modalities and do so in their daily practice. They can be found in private clinics, such as mammography clinics or chiropractic clinics, elderly care centers and in hospitals across a variety of departments, including the emergency room and operating room. Some are even mobile or traveling rad techs, working across multiple facilities within a specific area each day [1].

It’s no surprise to find technologists spread across such vast swathes of the healthcare continuum, disciplines and facilities: Being able to see inside the body allows doctors and researchers to more accurately diagnose patients, plan treatments and monitor the effects of those treatments. The images acquired by radiologic technologists are even used to guide surgical procedures. This means that radiologic technologist who capture these images are, in effect, the fulcrum of patient care. The images they produce of patients’ otherwise invisible inner workings form the foundation of diagnosis and treatment for all manner of ailments, from broken bones to cancers of all kinds to epilepsy to heart and liver disease, the list is practically interminable. And those images do not simply produce themselves [2].

Literature Review

It’s almost time to start your shift, have you had enough coffee? Have you meditated enough about the day ahead to go the required hours? Have you had that conversation in the mirror, the one that affirms you are the best radiologic technologist out there? If not, you have approximately 3 minutes to do so before you clock in and it’s go time.

Somedays do require more motivation to get up, get going and to get there on time than others. Life is hard. This is something people do not explain well as you are growing up. It seems to be a dirty held secret that gets dished out in large quantities at some point in life. How do we balance everything we deal with in our life; with our shift at work? The answer? You don’t [3].

Oh, everyone is going through something, sometimes awful things. Life can be rough and unforgiving, maybe you have been handed the short stick in this phase of your life. Most friends would sympathize with you, some supervisors may even understand and if you are truly lucky, a stranger may empathize for a moment when they hear your story. No matter how rough it gets, in 3 minutes you must leave it all behind. You have 3 minutes to throw your temper tantrum, 3 minutes to ask, ‘why you’, 3 minutes to replay the events in your head, 3 minutes to feel angry, 3 minutes to feel sad but only 3 minutes.

This article is not intended to devalue what you may be going through, life is full of real struggles, we are human beings with needs. However, in 3 minutes you will no longer be on your own time. In 3 minutes you will be a healthcare professional with a job to do. To do that job you will need a few things in your radiologic technologist tool box [4].

First and foremost, you will need a good attitude. Even if the morning has been nothing but terrible. Even if you feel like screaming inside. In 3 minutes you will be the happiest healthcare professional around. Why? Because you are getting paid to perform well. Just like an actor or actress, your superiors demand a good performance and your patients deserve a good performance. Do you think the patient who is coming in for an exam which will determine if they have cancer or not cares about your financial troubles? Do you expect a trauma patient who has just been in an accident and is fighting for their life really to listen intently on how you are not appreciated at work?

In 3 minutes, when you clock in and cross the threshold from “your life” to “your work” you are on stage. You are required to perform well and with a good attitude. No one should be able to tell that you have had a bad week, a bad morning or a bad drive in. In 3 minutes you are officially on patient time [5].

Discussion

Another item in your radiologic technologist tool box needed to do your job is professionalism. Some may think this is out dated and old fashioned, but it continues to make a critical difference in the patient’s experience today. In a world of ‘hard to find manners’ and ever so present rudeness, professionalism goes a long way. How can you be professional? By being respectful and calling patients by Mr. Mrs. or Miss. until given permission by the patient to do otherwise. Titles which are not included in professionalism are: Honey, babe, darling, dude or sweetie. These should never be used at any time. Being on time is another aspect of professionalism. You have coworkers that have been on the job for hours and are coming to the end of their shift, they need people who they can depend on to relieve them. Your supervisor has scheduled just the right number of techs to keep workflow at an optimal level, being late even 10 minutes disrupts this process. It all comes down to your plan. You may have to leave earlier, schedule errands after work, ask for help or set your alarm clock even earlier than in the past. Whatever it takes to be a respectful, dependable professional [6].

We will hit on one other item that needs to be in your toolbox to do your job, education. Of course, you need your radiology schooling and initial credentials in the modalities you work in. However, going beyond that, you still need annual training to keep current on equipment, protocols and new procedures. Why? For one, you do not want to be “that” tech. The one that knows nothing and is out of the loop. For another, it is part of your “contract” in having credentials. The next few thoughts may offend some, but they need to be said [7]. If you have made the decision to take a registry and be “professionally credentialed” in something, you have agreed to stay current by training or learning within the field of study. This is what having credentials means. They certify you are current in all aspects of your job, including up-to-date knowledge. Credentials certify that you are proficient in skills, understanding and practice. To be that, you must always be learning. Most healthcare professionals satisfy the equipment and protocol tasks by “in house” learning tools [8]. But professionals also obtain approved continuing Education Credits (ECs) specific to their field. For the professional, taking the time to read, attend or listen to informative topics that relate to their line of work is essential for one to keep up to date. ‘Taking the time’ is the key phrase here. Binging might be okay for your favorite TV series, but for your job it is not acceptable. Trying to shove as many credits as you can into the last few hours before they are not the definition of retention learning. This type of behavior does not keep with the integrity of the credential. A radiologic technologist should hold their profession, as well as their patients in such a high regard that they want to learn more, they strive to be the best they can be. This sometimes means taking the long road of learning and ignoring the so-called short cuts [9].

Many more aspects go into a radiologic technologist profession and toolbox. But we will stop at these three for now. Just remember, no matter what you are going through (which can difficult, hard and depressing) your co-workers, your supervisor and especially your patients, should not be able see it in your work. It goes back to the saying, when you step on stage, just “fake it until you make it”. You have 3 minutes [10].

Conclusion

We are radiologic technologist, but we are also human. The radiologic technologist will have good days and bad days, it is up to the RT to display a good attitude while on the clock, rely on their professional training and utilize their specialized education when it comes to performing their job. The patient should never know the radiologic technologist has had a bad morning, a bad day or a bad life. This article has listed a few ways to achieve that which all result in one answer: They have 3 minutes.

References

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