How Does a Nuclear Medicine Technologist Spend a Workday?

A nuclear medicine technologist plays a vital role in the healthcare industry. A nuclear medicine technologist is responsible for the storage, dispensing and monitoring of nuclear pharmaceuticals, such as those used in medical imaging. A nuclear medicine technologist does more than just monitor the drugs used in medical imaging, however. He is responsible for determining the proper dosages required for each patient to whom pharmaceuticals will be administered.

A nuclear medicine technologist will often work widely varying hours. Depending on the scheduling at his respective healthcare facility, he will need to arrive at work very early each day. The technologist will review a patient's chart, often meeting with the attending physician, in order to determine which chemical he will need to administer for a specific test. For example, if a physician orders a stress test for a specific patient, the technologist will need to review that patient's medical history in order to formulate the proper dosage to ensure that there are no adverse reactions to the medication. The technologist will prep his chemicals for the day for each patient that is to be tested. Because of the unstable nature of the chemicals, the chemicals cannot be mixed too early, for fear that they will decay before they are used in the test. Radioactive medical isotopes generally have a very short half-life, and are only effective during a very limited time frame. Once the technologist has determined the proper course of medication, the technologist is solely responsible for administering that drug to the patient. The nuclear pharmaceuticals for which he is responsible are radioactive, and as such require special handling and care. The technologist is responsible for properly maintaining and calibrating the equipment used in medical scans, such as those on the human heart. The time immediately before a given patient's scans will be spent testing the chemicals to ensure that they are still viable. After mixing the chemicals, the technologist will input his calculations into his electronic equipment, thus ensuring that the machine gives readings that are accurate for each individual patient. The nuclear medicine technologist will also monitor the patient throughout the procedure to ensure that the pharmaceuticals administered to the patient maintain their peak levels of effectiveness.

A nuclear medicine technologist is required to complete extensive courses of study in order to be most effective at their jobs. He may spend up to one-quarter of his working hours completing medical charts and compiling data for attending physicians. A great deal of time is also devoted to ensuring that his knowledge and skills are kept current, and guaranteeing that he is aware of the latest medical studies relating to the field.

Resources

• NucMedInfo for the latest nuclear medicine breakthroughs