Radiology Forums

exnoctem · Joined: 03 May 2008 Posts: 7 Location: Connecticut

In a week im going to be starting a new job as a mobile technologist, and i wanted to see if anyone here had any experience doing it.

Ive been used to Digital/CR and im going to be using film for this Job(Film in my area right now is pretty hard to find as most places are DR/CR), how much "culture shock" iwould there be going to Film?

How much positioning/centering/SID latitude do the average grids have?

Any tricks of the trade that could help me adjust?

Thanks in advance guys and gals!

papa · Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 9:36 am Post subject:

heh, heh...

um, yeah.... there's a difference.

grids, SID, etc. are still the same as with CR. the physics and equipemnt are all identical.

-be sure you're up on your techniques. film techniques. sometimes film techniques and CR techniques can be a little different. depending on where you trained and what equiment you've used, could be more, could be less than what you're used to. you might want to talk to your supervisor about a technique chart just to familiarize yourself with their techniques.

-be sure you're in shape. i ran into a mobile tech the other night getting coffee. it can be a lot of manual labor. basically you are a portable tech, outside the hospital. just as doing portables in the hospital, you've got to push the portable, move the patient, lift the sheets, etc. that in itself can be a workout.

-something i learned as a student -- "one shot, one kill. think of yourself as an x-ray sniper. you've got one shot. take your time, breathe, and make it count." from the simplest chest x-ray to complex studies, this phrase has helped me a lot on portables.

all i can think of right now.

good luck to ya, and congrats on the new job!

papa RTRCT
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cmadams · Joined: 17 Jun 2008 Posts: 2 Location: Kettering, Ohio

Congratulations! You are beginning a job that can be unbelieveably rewarding and also quite challenging. Some years ago (and possibly still in some areas today, too) being a mobile tech was for those techs who didn't quite make it in a hospital or office setting. No longer. As baby-boomers age there will be more opportunities for mobile exams and a greater need for mobile techs. The main difference, technically speaking, is that instead of US controlling the environment (in an imaging department), the environment controls us in a long term care (or home) setting! So, are you good at being creative with positioning? If not, talk to techs who are.
Are you a good driver? Hope so.
Do you relate well with nurses and aides? You need to.
Recognize this: you will be the radiology expert when you're discussing exams with long term care staff.

Who are your "customers"? Pretty much everybody you will interact with, whether they're the patient or not. By the way, nursing homes don't have patients, they have "residents". Make sure you knock on a door before entering the room, and wait for a reply before entering. LTC facilities are highly regulated, so check the rules, both fed and state. Look up Code of Federal Regulations regarding portable x-ray suppliers (42CFR486, subpart C) and also look up what exams are permitted (and which one's are not) by portable services.

Be ready to go to the beauty shop, or dining room, to get the resident. Be willing to spend a few minutes with the residents...you may be the best thing that has happened to them all month! Do you know much about dementia? If not, read up. Don't expect that all your images will be top quality...and the elderly may not be able to hold their breath for a chest x-ray, even when they're trying hard to do what you ask. Learn to "assess" your patients when you're introducing yourself and you'll get a sense of their limitations and when you'll need help from a nurse or aide. Be patient.

Are you working for a company that values quantity of exams over quality and makes you drive forever and a day to get all exams done? Hope not...but they are certainly out there and some of the bigger companies are like that. You can be professional, kind, caring, thorough, loving and ready to have fun, laugh, as well as witness some heartbraking moments. Sorry I rambled, but I helped start a hospital-based mobile service 13 years ago and actively worked on the road for much of that time. VERY REWARDING of all my imaging roles over the years (I have also been an angio/IR tech, Cath Lab tech, and CT tech-currently in Rad management.) Best wishes!
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