Medical Radiation Technologists
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NOC 2021: 32121 / NOC 2016: 3215
Job Description
Medical radiation technologists operate radiographic and radiation therapy equipment to give radiation treatment and produce images of body structures for the diagnosis and treatment of injury and disease. These technologists are divided into three groups: radiological technologists, nuclear medicine technologists and radiation therapists.
Radiological technologists:
- Operate X-ray, radiographic and fluoroscopic equipment, computerized tomography (CT) scanners, mammography units, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to produce radiographs or anatomic images of the human body for the diagnosis by radiologists of disease or injury
- Prepare patients and provide appropriate care including radiation protection measures for medical tests
- Perform basic verification and quality control checks on radiographic and film processing equipment
- May train and supervise students or other radiological technologists
Nuclear medicine technologists:
- Prepare radiopharmaceuticals such as radionuclides and give them to patients or biological samples
- Operate radiation detection equipment, such as gamma cameras, scanners, scintillation counters, tomodensitometers and ionization chambers to acquire data for use by nuclear medicine physicians in the diagnosis of disease
- Record and process the results of procedures, check equipment to make sure it operates properly, provide appropriate care for patients during examinations and apply radiation protection measures
- Do diagnostic procedures using radioactive materials on biological specimens, such as blood and urine
Radiation therapists:
- Operate linear accelerators, cobalt 60, X-ray and other radiation therapy equipment to give radiation treatment prescribed by radiation oncologists
- Check radiation therapy equipment to make sure it operates properly and help radiation oncologists and clinical physicists with preparation of radiation treatment plans
- Help prepare sealed radioactive materials such as cobalt, radium, cesium and isotopes
- Help build devices such as plaster casts and acrylic moulds to assist with radiation treatments
- Monitor patients' physical and psychological well-being during the entire course of treatment and advise patients regarding the side effects of radiation
- May train and supervise students or other radiotherapy technologists.
Source: WorkBC Career Profile for Medical Radiation Technologists, Career Cruising (Profiles for “Medical Imaging Tech,” “Nuclear Medicine Technologist” & “Radiation Therapist”)