Occupational Worker: Nuclear Medicine Technologist

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Occupational Worker Nuclear Medicine
Technologist
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From the moment you arrive
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Your being exposed
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Nuclear Medicine Technologist

• EXPOSURES
• Floods
• Dose Calibrator
• Surveys
• Waste
• Preparation
• Assay
• Injection
• Waiting
• Imaging
• Contamination

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Greatest Exposure is during imaging time
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Nuclear Cardiology
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Neuro Nuclear
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Whole Body Studies
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So how does a Nuclear Medicine Technologist
reduce their radiation exposure?

• BY FOLLOWING THESE SIMPLE STEPS

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Practice daily Radiation Safety

• Wear long sleeved lab coats
• Use your syringe shields
• Wear gloves
• Have all supplies ready
• Check and recheck all paper work
• Check and recheck all acquisition parameters
• Try to buy unit dosing
• Give instructions to patient before injection
• Wear film and ring badges
• House patients away from your work area
• Have patient void frequently
• Keep doors closed
• BASED ON A TIMEDISTANCE.OR SHIELDING METHOD

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Best Policy

• Be fast around isotopes and patients
• Try to keep a distance from sources
• Use some shielding
• Constantly check self for contamination
• Change gloves frequently
• Check feet
• Watch your piers for accidents
• When in doubt check out with survey meter

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Report Card

• Have low monthly exposure report
• All isotopes accounted for in log
• No contamination issues
• Equipment tuned properly
• No citations
• Pay check good evaluation

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Bottom line

• Radiation Safety depends on everyone following a
  set of uniform of practice.
• Accidents WILL happen
• Clean up or cover the spill
• Let decay overnight
• Close off the equipment/room/area
• Document accidents
• Dont try to hide the accident
• Tell your piers of the area

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Read more about radiation safety and protection
in your textbook
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Chapter 18
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Key words

• ALARA Principles
• Inverse Square Law
• Half-value Layers
• Effective Half Lifes
• Contamination

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Homework

• Name 5 ways a technologist receives exposure in a
  nuclear medicine department.
• At what part of the day does the technologist
  receive greatest exposure?
• Who is responsible for the radiation protection
  program at work?
• Describe ALARA and demonstrate some examples.

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• Create your own routine!! But be SAFE!