Radiologic Technologist Job Description

The Radiologic Technologist is often called a Radiographer takes X-rays which are images of the inside of the human body.

Primary Objectives:

• The Radiologic Technologist must position the patient on the X-ray table in the right position changing their body position with each X-ray.
• The Radiologic Technologist must position the X-ray machine and other equipment, set controls, and position the X-ray film before taking the X-ray of the person’s body on the inside.
• The Radiologic Technologist must remove and develop the film after the X-ray has been taken.
• The Radiologic Technologist must have four years of college getting a degree in their profession.

The Radiologic Technologist work under the direction of radiologists, medical doctors who specialize in interpreting radiographs. The information from radiographs is helpful in the diagnosis and treatment of illness and injury. The Radiologic Technologist works mainly in hospitals but some do work in medical laboratories, clinics, or doctors’ or dentists’ offices. There is some Radio Technologist who works in private industry staffing a mobile X-ray unit. Many hospitals will hire students that they have helped to train while others will find employment through the school placement center. The experienced Radiologic Technologist can become supervisors of other workers in large X-ray departments. The Radiologic Technologist can learn to operate other types of equipment so that makes a better chance of advancement in their position. Most Radiologic Technologist works in hospitals so that they can learn more than just how to operate the X-ray machines.

The Radiologic Technologist must prepare the patient for their X-rays by positioning them on the X-ray table in different positions. The X-ray table is normally marked in different measurements so that the X-ray Technician can measure the patient making sure that they are where the X-ray camera can get the proper exposure of the patient. Often the Radiologic Technologist must change the patient’s position many times in order to get enough X-ray’s to determine the ailment or disease. The Radiologic Technologist must also set controls, position the X-ray film and then develop the film once the X-ray has been taken. The more experienced Radiographers may perform more complex imaging procedures, such as computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.

The Radiologic Technologist is in charge of the administrative duties that go along with the X-ray procedures. The Radiologic Technologist is usually responsible for writing reports and maintaining their equipment. The Radiologic Technologists work under the direction of radiologists. The information that is gathered by the radiographs is very helpful in the diagnosis and treatment of illness and injury. When there has been an injury then the Radiologic Technologist must act quickly taking the X-rays because the injured person does not have time to wait. The injured person might need a broken bone casted or perhaps need emergency surgery. The work of the Radiologic Technologist can save lives or repair a person’s body so that there is no permanent damage to a certain area.

The Radiologic Technologist is also very helpful in detecting such things as cancer and other diseases. This is very helpful to the patient’s physician in their treatment. The detection of any ailment or disease before it gets into the advance stage can save a life or make a person’s life much easier to be taken care of. That is why it is important for a Radiologic Technologist to be aware of their patient and their needs so that they can better understand the position to place the patient on the table for the right X-rays. There are occasions when the Radiologic Technologist must go into areas where people live and work to take X-rays in order to do this they use a mobile X-ray machine. This is very helpful to detect such things as T-B or Black lung disease for example. In order to be able to get the people in the community’s X-ray the Radiologic Technologist takes the mobile unit to a convenient place in the community and there they can take the necessary X-rays. Most of the Radiologic Technologist works with assistants that help them when they are doing this procedure in the field. The Radiologic Technologist usually is working under the supervision of a medical doctor who can determine who does and who does not need help.

Degrees and Training to Become a Radiologic Technologist

• Medical and Health Degree

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