The Nuclear Medicine Technologist helps in the diagnosis and treatment of certain disease.

Primary Objectives:

• The Nuclear Medicine Technologist may administer radiopharmaceuticals (radioactive drugs) to patients and monitor the concentration levels of the drugs in the patient’s body.

• The Nuclear Medicine Technologist works directly with the patient under the supervision of a physician.

• The Nuclear Medicine Technologist has several specific duties that they must perform in order to maintain their jobs.

The first thing that a Nuclear Medicine Technologist must do is explain the test procedures to patients in a manner that they will understand. The Nuclear Medicine Technologist then will prepare a dosage of the radio pharmaceutical using set safety procedures. After administration of the pharmaceutical, the technologists operate a gamma scintillation camera, or scanner, which creates pictures of the drug as it passes through parts of the patient’s body. The Nuclear Medicine Technologist knows that abnormal areas show higher or lower concentrations of radioactivity than normal. The Nuclear Medicine Technologist captures the images on a computer screen or photographic film for the physician to examine. The Nuclear Medicine Technologist must keep records of the patient’s treatments, equipment use and maintenance, and the amount and type of radiopharmaceuticals received, used and disposed of in order to keep a close tracking.

The Nuclear Medicine Technologist must complete one of the following a two-year certification program provided by the hospital or a two-year associates degree program at a community college. Some Nuclear Medicine Technologist prefers to take a four year bachelor’s degree at a college or university. One-year certificate programs are also available for health professionals with an associate’s degree, especially persons in related fields who wish to specialize in nuclear medicine. The Nuclear Medicine Technologist usually takes courses in physical sciences, radiation biology, radiopharmaceuticals, imaging techniques, and computer science.

About half of all states require Nuclear Medicine Technologist to be licensed. Most employers prefer to hire certified or registered Nuclear Medicine Technologist. Since most Nuclear Medicine Technologist work in hospitals they realize that they must be certified and licensed in order to get the job. A Nuclear Medicine Technologist can advance to supervisory positions such as Chief Nuclear Medicine Technologist or Department Administrator. While there are some Nuclear Medicine Technologists who advance through specialization, such as Nuclear Cardiology, or move on to work in research laboratories.

The Nuclear Medicine Technologist with an advanced degree may become teachers in nuclear medicine technology programs. There is a great need for instructors in the field just as there is a great need for Technologist. It is not always a field that a person in medicine may want to consider. The field can become dangerous because of the amount of radiation that a Nuclear Medicine Technologist must succumb to while working. The Nuclear Medicine Technologist works with dangerous chemicals, equipment and sometimes patients who are contagious. All these factors cause some people to shy away from the field. The Nuclear Medicine Technologist does make good money but it does take a lot of training and expertise in handling the radiopharmaceuticals.

The Nuclear Medicine Technologist is fully aware of the dangers involved but they are also well trained in the safety features so that they do not become harmed. The risk factors in the field has caused many medical professions to shy away from this type of work, however, when the proper precautions are taken the Nuclear Medicine Technologist finds that almost all dangers are eliminated. Most accidents arrive from carelessness not from the use of the radiopharmaceuticals. The equipment such as the gamma scintillation camera is relatively safe when used as directed. The Nuclear Medicine Technologist is highly trained to use all equipment and take safety precautions. There are very few accidents in the field but the risk comes from the contagion factor which is still not completely understood. Cancers are often said not to be contagious, but in some cases others have contracted certain types of cancers.

The field of Nuclear Medicine Technology is growing and many people in the medical field are now opening up to working in this field since it is very lucrative. The main thing about this specialization is the fact that many people’s lives have been saved with this type of procedure.

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