Question about catheters and enema tips....

jrvalk03 · Joined: 16 Jun 2009 Posts: 1

Hi, I am looking into becoming a Radiology Technician. I have not begun classes, I just have a question before I go any further.
How scary or hard to learn is inserting a catheter or inserting a lubricated enema tip in rectum....???? This seems very scary to me, was it scary for you when you were learning? Do you get over this? These are the only things that are keeping me on the fence about this profession. I think I would love everything else about it. I just recently had a husband go through a few ablation surgeries and found it fascinating how they made a 3d image of his heart etc. Have had MRIs myself and would love to learn more about these things. I have had to give my husband shots twice a day for the past few days, so I am getting over my giving shots fear.... wondering if I would eventually get over the catheter and enema fears in order to do my job....if I pursue this. Please give me your opinion on these and if you think I am barking up the wrong tree..... I finished an EMT course a few years ago... did not end up taking state exam because I did not want to deal with childbirth....this also makes me nervous....????? Should I just find another profession??? Confused

Love helping people and know this field is needed. Love investigating and diagnosing problems in people...Think I would be good at it and have friends who agree.. I am looking into doing a job shadow sometime soon....

hjhogle · Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 10:13 am Post subject:

We deal with sick people - there are a lot of things about illness and the human body that many consider "gross".

In the last 30 years, I've had a lot of fun experiences - I've been punched by patients high on whatever. I've been puked on (projectile vomiting the first time was a real surprise, believe me), spat on, bit once, pooped on, coughed on and bled on. While being pooped on is not something they tell you about in school, it is something that happens when you're dealing with folks who are ill. (And by the way, my experience is not unusual.)

Back in the day, RT's catheterized their own patients for studies that required it, and inserted all manner of things in patients. The environment is different now. You won't give shots or inject contrast by hand, and as a student or new graduate, you won't be inserting IV's.

Enema tips? Trust me, enema tips are easy. It's the squishing in your shoes that's difficult.

I've never had any trouble with poop in a fluoro room or blood in the OR. The only thing that makes my stomach turn is .. suction. If I go to do a portable exam (done in the patient's room) and the patient's lungs are being suctioned out, I wait in the hall. The sound makes me queasy.

Good luck,
hjh, RT