Nuclear Medicine Technologists
On the Job
Nuclear Medicine Technologists prepare radioactive drugs and administer them to patients undergoing scans. The radioactive drugs cause abnormal areas of the body to appear different from normal areas in the images.
Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:
- Administer medical substances for imaging or other procedures.
- Position patients for treatment or examination.
- Record patient medical histories.
- Gather medical information from patient histories.
- Follow protocols or regulations for healthcare activities.
- Examine medical instruments or equipment to ensure proper operation.
- Create advanced digital images of patients using computer imaging systems.
- Operate diagnostic imaging equipment.
- Operate laboratory equipment to analyze medical samples.
- Process x-rays or other medical images.
Typical Working Conditions
- Exposure to radiation.
- Frequent contact with others.
- The importance of being accurate or exact.
- Dealing with external customers.
- Frequent decision-making.
- Close physical proximity with other people.
- Meeting strict deadlines.
- Using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls.
- High levels of competition.
- Wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, or life jackets.
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people.
- Responsibility for others' health and safety.
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Source: You can learn about our data sources in the About Us section.
