Being a radiologic technologist means that you are part of a team working together to save and improve lives. Patients depend on their physician to lead the healthcare team in diagnosing, monitoring, and treating medical conditions. The physicican depends on the radiologic technologist to perform the diagnostic imaging exams, such as X-rays.
But, what can X-rays show that make them so valuable and when are they needed? Read on to find out.
What X-rays Can Show
X-rays provide a glimpse inside of the human body that can’t be seen with the naked eye. X-rays can show:
Once the X-ray is captured and reviewed the X-ray can show the size, structure, shape, and density of the body parts being examined. X-rays can also show if there is excessive fluid or foreign objects in the body.
So, being a radiologic technologist requires the knowledge, training, and skills to safely operate the imaging equipment and to optimally position each patient. Being a radiologic technologist also means being a critical thinker who is solving a puzzle with every patient as they work to get the most diagnostic information possible from each captured image.
Conditions That May Require an X-ray
Physicians may request an X-ray for many reasons. For example, a physician might be trying to:
An X-ray can also identify:
Your Role as a Radiologic Technologist
Being a radiologic technologist, you will need to be sensitive to the symptoms that correspond with the patients’ presumed conditions. Someone with a broken arm will want you to touch and move the arm as little as possible. He or she may need a pillow to help stabilize the arm as you quickly and carefully take the X-rays.
As a radiologic technologist, you will also need to be prepared to see the unexpected. This doesn’t mean that you need to prepare to see something bizarre, like Darth Vader looking back at you, though you might see him if someone swallowed an action figure. It means remembering that each person is unique and that the beauty of X-rays is that they provide a view inside that is like no other.
A physician may order an X-ray for someone who appears to have pneumonia, and the X-ray captures a tumor instead. Discovering cancer may seem like bad news, but thanks to what X-rays can show, a physician can treat the correct condition and put that patient on the road to recovery.
Being a Radiologic Technologist with a Degree from CUKC
At Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC), we see being a radiologic technologist as being a valuable member of the health care support team. We understand that our students want more than a degree – they want to excel in a health care profession. That’s why we used our nearly 100 years of experience as educators in chiropractic and the health sciences to design our Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Radiologic Technology degree.
CUKC is a nonprofit, healthcare-focused, private university in Overland Park, Kansas. At CUKC, the A.A.S. in radiologic technology degree can be earned in as little as two years. We offer focused 8-week evening courses on campus that are designed to immerse you in your class subjects.
To learn more about being a radiologic technologist and how to begin a career in one of the top health care support careers in the nation, download the free ebook, Your Complete Guide to a Career as a Radiologic Technologist.
