Nuclear Medicine Program

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Diagnostic Medical Imaging – Nuclear Medicine Program graduates will:

• Demonstrate knowledge of written and oral communication
• Demonstrate professionalism and compassion when interacting with patients
• Demonstrate patient confidentiality and compliance with the all privacy standards according to institutional compliance of HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
• Demonstrate ability to provide basic nursing care and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation
• Demonstrate appropriate actions for confirmation when a patient is presented for a nuclear medicine procedure
• Demonstrate the ability to assess and describe patient clinical presentation
• Demonstrate knowledge of anatomy and physiological function of specific organs or organ systems on a nuclear medicine image
• Demonstrate knowledge of the pathological processes within the organs or organ systems being evaluated
• Demonstrate departmental radiation safety and emergency procedures
• Demonstrate knowledge of radiopharmaceuticals, their characteristics, and biodistribution that are used for specific nuclear medicine procedures
• Demonstrate knowledge of identifying indications for nuclear medicine diagnostic and therapeutic procedures
• Demonstrate the ability to identify and perform patient preparation requirements for specific diagnostic and therapeutic studies
• Demonstrate ability to perform mathematical calculations of volume, concentration, and decay for specific radiopharmaceutical kit preparations, and patient doses
• Demonstrate ability to operate radiation detection equipment: dose calibrators, survey meters, multichannel analyzers and thyroid probes
• Demonstrate ability to operate specific clinical site imaging instrumentation: planar and tomographic
• Demonstrate patient positioning as per protocols
• Demonstrate ability in computer acquisition and processing of nuclear medicine planar and tomographic studies
• Demonstrate ability to recognize anatomical landmarks that help identify the radiopharmaceuticals, normal variants, abnormal pathology and imaging protocols used in the acquisition
• Demonstrate knowledge in any pitfalls, radiopharmacy techniques, dose administration, image acquisition, and specific processing of nuclear medicine procedures that will enhance or degrade the quality and diagnostic accuracy of a nuclear medicine procedure
• Demonstrate the purpose and use of any necessary ancillary equipment required for a specific imaging or non-imaging procedure and demonstrate its operation
• Demonstrate ability to perform departmental quality assurance (instruments and radiopharmaceuticals) as determined by the clinical instructor
• Demonstrate the ability to prepare, dispense and administer radiopharmaceuticals orally or intravenously
• Demonstrate ability to competently perform the following studies available per clinical rotation: radioactive material handling, storage, disposal and clean up, geiger mueller monitoring and area surveys, radioactive dose receipt and calibrations, removable contamination wipe testing, scintillation camera quality assurance, SPECT (single photon emission computerized tomography) camera operation, PET/CT(positron emission tomography/computerized tomography) operation and procedures, dose calibrator quality assurance, radiopharmacy procedures, nuclear procedures including but not limited to: in vitro, non-imaging, central nervous system, myocardial, endocrine, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, hepatobiliary, skeletal, respiratory, tumor and infection whole body studies, therapeutic studies, and pediatric studies
• Demonstrate knowledge of personal radiation safety
• Demonstrate the proper use of body mechanics in the guiding and/or assisting the patient to move to and from the standing position, wheelchair, or cart to the scanning table in a safe manner.
• Demonstrate the ability to interact in a professional manner with other health care personnel involved in the care of the patient

Nuclear medicine is a scientific and clinical discipline involving the diagnostic and therapeutic use of radionuclides. Nuclear Medicine Technologists help treat disease and image the body.

Nuclear medicine differs from other diagnostic imaging technologies because it determines the presence of disease on the basis of biological changes rather than changes in organ structure.

Nuclear medicine technologists have a wide range of responsibilities, including patient care, abstracting data from patient records, calculating doses for In Vivo and In Vitro studies, preparing and administering radiopharmaceuticals, operating scanning equipment, performing computer acquisition and analysis of patient studies, and assisting the physician when using radiopharmaceuticals.

Nuclear medicine technologists should be sensitive to patients' physical and psychological needs. They must be able to pay attention to detail, follow instructions and work as part of a team. In addition, operating complicated equipment requires mechanical ability and manual dexterity. These professionals must also be willing and able to spend much of the day on their feet.

There are several questions that might help determine whether a career in nuclear medicine is right for you:

1. Do I have a passion for helping others?
2. Do I enjoy working with computer technology?
3. Am I able to communicate well with others?
4. Were math, biology and chemistry interesting classes for me in high school?