Interventional Radiology Tech - No Experience Required
Company: University of Texas M.D. Anderson
Location: Laredo
Posted on: April 17, 2024
Job Description:
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston is
one of the world's most respected centers focused on cancer patient
care, research, education and prevention. It was named the nation's
No. 1 hospital for cancer care in U.S. News & World Report's
2022-2023 rankings. It is one of the nation's original three
comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer
Institute.
Technical and Patient Care Skills
- Performs studies/procedures as outlined in the department
manuals/guidelines which include patient care activities within
professional scope of practice including but not limited to:
patient assessment, education, and patient transportation,
preparation for sterile surgical and percutaneous procedures.
- Administration of pharmaceuticals, "iohexol" arterially and
venously as within manufacturer/division standards. Properly
administering contrast agents to enhance computed tomographic (CT)
; intravenous (IV) digital subtraction angiography (DSA) of the
head, neck, abdominal, renal, and peripheral vessels; peripheral
arteriography; and excretory urography etc.
- Carefully observe the six rights of drug administration 1.)
Right Patient, 2.) Right Route, 3.) Right Dose, 4.) Right Time, 5.)
Right Medication 6) Right documentation
- Be aware of the risk factors for reactions to contrast media,
use strategies to minimize adverse events, and be prepared to
promptly recognize and manage any reactions to the contrast media
Adverse reactions to contrast agents range from a mild
inconvenience, such as itching associated with hives, to a
life-threatening emergency.
- Program contrast pressure injectors to ensure optimized
opacification and delineation of normal vascular anatomy, including
arterial and venous anatomy and abnormal lesions
- Screen patients for blood urea nitrogen, creatinine and (GFR)
glomerular filtration rates to ensure values or within parameters
to safely give contrast agents.
- Screen patients for contrast allergies or renal
insufficiencies
- Administer CO2 for digital imaging in the event contrast
allergies or renal insufficiencies are identified during
pre-procedure screening.
- Maintains strict control of access to MRI and Ionizing
Radiation producing clinical areas
- Act as stewards for all customers and stakeholders to maintain
ALARA safety guidelines which means making every reasonable effort
to maintain exposures to ionizing radiation as far below the dose
limits as practical, consistent with the purpose for which the
licensed activity is undertaken.
- Alert Radiologist and document when indicated radiation
exposures thresholds have been reached.
- Recognizes patient distress signs, initiates and assists with
emergency response teams. (nurse/physician, IR Alert, MERIT, Code
Blue)
- Adheres to all sterile environment and infection control
practices
- Demonstrates knowledge of Age Specific Criteria in carrying out
work duties and tasks
- Maintains a high technical competency level in multiple imaging
modalities Computed tomography, Cone bean CT, Ultrasound, Digital
subtraction fluoroscopy, and MR.
- Remain current on new imaging techniques/procedures as it
relates to invasive procedures.
- Perform quality checks and calibrate unique tissue ablations
units including, Irreversible Electroporation Ablation units,
Cryotherapy units, Microwave therapy units and Laser Ablations
units to administer precise energy levels to destroy cancerous
tumors
- Regulate the Angiojet catheter-based thrombectomy system to
treat deep vein thrombosis. Adequate saline pressure and system
pumps most be monitored to ensure partial or full obstruction is
broken up and vacuumed into the collection reservoir for
deposal
- Comprehend and demonstrates competency and the ability to
operation Siemens syngo needle navigation system that enhances
pinpoint accuracy with no increased patient radiation dose.
- Recognizes examination findings that may require immediate
clinical response and notifies the radiologist (i.e., Critical
result findings.)
- Demonstrates ability to work effectively in all assigned
areas
- Demonstrates flexibility to the demands of patient care,
including but not limited to: coming in early, staying late,
alternative shift coverage, emergency "ride out team" and
rotational call coverage etc., as needed/assigned
- Participates in the diagnosis and treatment of invasive
procedures.
- Assists the Interventional Radiologist and nursing team during
interventional procedures (Angiography, CT guided biopsies, US
guided biopsies, drainages).
- Knowledgeable of basic functions of EPIC which include
documentation, specimen handling, patient and specimen transport
and all other patient care related activities
- Efficient and knowledgeable in preparing all necessary
documents for interventional radiology procedures
- Maintains cleanliness/orderliness of all imaging rooms,
dressing rooms, and work area
- Responsible for stocking, transporting, and distribution of
supplies within the section
- Disposes of used linens as needed
- Monitors personnel, work areas, and patient care areas to
ensure that the levels of radioactive materials are in accordance
with regulations.
- Decontaminate work and patient care areas as needed.
- Properly disposes of chemotherapy and other hazardous
materials.
- Ensures maximum room efficiency with focus on rTAT and patient
throughput
- Utilizes effective time management to ensure that all procedure
related tasks are completed and requests assistance as needed
- Assists with instruction of student technologists and in the
orientation of new employees.
- Maintains and demonstrates a high-level competency for all
Interventional Radiology protocols and procedures.
- Knowledgeable and adheres to Patient Identification policy
- Demonstrates clear communications skills and provides accurate,
complete information to patients, peers, faculty and other clinical
staff.
- Maintains professionalism when interacting with others to
promote a cohesive team environment
- Uses appropriate customer service skills when interacting with
internal as well as external customers
- Handles phones calls in a professional manner and ensures the
appropriate follow-up as required.
- Exhibits and maintains a high level of customer service when
communicating with referring services, patients, faculty,
colleagues, or other members of the MDACC team.
- Provides a comprehensive hand-off to colleagues and/or
supervisor at end of shift or during period of relief
- Able to utilize the hospital/departmental communication
services via telephone and paging system.
Education,QA/Compliance, Policies, and Procedures
- Maintains current required licensure and certifications.
- Maintains continuing education requirements for ARRT and
TDH
- Complies with institutional, divisional, and departmental
quality control/compliance.
- Verifies images are available in PACS as part of the end
procedure process.
- Properly adjust technical parameters for optimal image
quality
- Accurately enters and edits patient demographics for all
procedures and reports all variances immediately via a PCRF
- Conducts daily QA checks on all imaging equipment.
- Reports equipment errors and malfunctions to the DI Service
Line and IR Management team.
- Keeps accurate and up-to-date logs of equipment
errors/messages
- Clean procedure room and all equipment between patients
- Complies with all current, Interventional Radiology, Diagnostic
Imaging and MDACC policies and procedures
- Adhere to universal protocol, site marking, specimen handling
and procedural protocols at all times. Reports variances to
immediate supervisor or IR Faculty.
- Wears appropriate attire and name badge daily as part of dress
code. Acts in a professional manner.
- Reports to work at appropriate scheduled time on a daily basis,
meeting divisional standards.
- Submits appropriate request for vacation, sick and holiday
leave. Meets institutional policy of attendance
- Knowledgeable and adheres to all Joint Commission and patient
safety policies as they apply
- Attends, contributes, and participates in regularly scheduled
departmental meetings
Employee participates in on-going learning and demonstrates
application of it in his/her role.
- Actively seeks opportunities to develop professionally and
personally
- Completes the Professional Development Model Program
activities
- Coaches and mentors others relating specific aspects of the
job.
- Provides leadership and training to students, technologists,
and other staff members on an ongoing basis. Other duties as
assigned.
- Fosters and encourages a receptive and nurturing environment by
actively contributing to the education activities of patients,
family members, faculty, radiology residents, coworkers, volunteers
and students.
Inventory Management/CPT Coding
- Assist with maintaining necessary inventory and supplies
- Able to identify all procedure related supplies and appropriate
use.
- Ensures that all supplies are accurately documented and entered
in the RIS/Inventory system to maximum reimbursement and
appropriate patient billing
- Verifies expiration date on all supplies prior to opening
- Rotates stock by using oldest stock first to decrease expired
items
- Able to identify and describe the different components of IR
CPT coding and billing
- Able to explain basic coding guidelines as they apply to IR
coding
- Applies vascular knowledge and proficiency to adequately enter
correct billing and CPT codes for Interventional Radiology to
ensure maximum reimbursement and financial success
- Recognizes the usage and appropriate applies CPT/Research
coding modifiers.
- Ensures that procedures maintain appropriate medical supply and
linen levels at all times.
- Reports medical supply variances to supervisor or manager as
appropriate.
Critical Thinking/ Strategic Alignment
- Applies critical thinking using information from clinical
history, medical records, and imaging to ensure the clinical needs
of the patients are addressed and discussed with appropriate
personnel as necessary. Employs appropriate and varied modes of
communication and escalation.
- Maximizes productivity and operational effectiveness by working
with entire multi- disciplinary care team to resolve associated
clinical care questions.
- Applies knowledge of area specific processes and scheduling
capacity to manage patient flow, minimize patient appointment
delays and positively impact daily operations for patient on-time
starts
- Consistently engages in practices to expedite patient care and
decrease room turn- around-time. (prepare rooms, escort patients,
etc.)
- During system failure, performs section down-time procedures
and immediately reports to supervisor for reassignment of
duties.
- Demonstrates effective communication skills. Practices
responsible use of the communication tools (Whiteboard, paging
systems, telephones, e-mail, fax, etc.)
- Ensures accurate, complete and timely transfer of images to
PACS
- Ensures completion of all duties and conducts verbal hand-off
using (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation (SBAR)
technique.
- Completes shift reports and follows up with
supervisors/peers.
- Actively participates in quality and performance improvement
activities/projects to improve workflow and the overall patient
experience. (i.e. Press Ganey scores, patient on-time starts
etc.)
- Participates in on-going learning activities and demonstrates
application of it in his/her role
- Fosters, assists, and encourages a receptive and nurturing
environment by actively contributing to the education activities of
patients, family members, faculty, radiology residents, co-workers,
volunteers, and students.
- Coaches and mentors others relating to specific aspects of the
job
- Provides leadership and training to students, technologists,
and other staff members
- Suggests ways to improve efficiency in the workplace (i.e.
reduces supply and equipment waste).
- Adheres to Joint Commission standards, initiatives and to
applicable state/federal licensure requirements and guidelines
- Attends, contributes, and participates in regularly scheduled
departmental meetings
- Documents incidents, variances, unusual circumstances, or
patient concerns (PSN) and escalates/ notifies the appropriate
personnel within twenty four hours (i.e. radiologist, section
leadership
- In a self-directed and timely manner, completes mandatory
in-services and continuing education requirements for the
institution, division, and section, including but not limited to
orientation to new equipment, safety preparedness, Employee
Education Event
- Aligns with American College of Radiology Accreditation
standards and recommendations
Service Orientation
- Provide service to our customers, including patients, patient
caregivers, referring physicians and each other, in a reliable,
responsive, safe, friendly and courteous manner.
- Promotes inclusiveness and collegiality by demonstrating
respect and professionalism to others at all times
- Models safe, ethical behavior, mitigating risk to the
institution through sound business practices, and adherence to MD
Anderson's Standards of Conduct, institutional policies and
procedures
- Meets time and attendance expectations and responds to requests
in a timely manner, communicating expectations for procedures,
service arrival, or project deliverables to patients and
coworkers
- Admits when wrong, apologize and take steps to resolve a
situation to help to patients and coworkers before being asked
Required education: Graduation from an American Medical Association
(AMA) and American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT)
approved school of Radiology Technology.
Required experience: Three years of experience as a registered
Radiologic Technologist or one year of interventional radiology
experience. With preferred Associate's degree, one year of
registered Technologist experience in any modality. With preferred
Bachelor's degree, no experience required.
Required certification: All of the following: Registration by the
American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT). Licensed by
the Texas Medical Board (TMB) as a Certified Medical Radiologic
Technologist (CMRT). Basic Life Support (BLS) or Cardiopulmonary
Resuscitation (CPR) certification.
It is the policy of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer
Center to provide equal employment opportunity without regard to
race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, gender, sexual
orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, protected
veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected
by institutional policy or by federal, state or local laws unless
such distinction is required by law.
Additional Information
- Requisition ID: 166565
- Employment Status: Full-Time
- Employee Status: Regular
- Work Week: Days
- Minimum Salary: US Dollar (USD) 75,000
- Midpoint Salary: US Dollar (USD) 93,500
- Maximum Salary : US Dollar (USD) 112,000
- FLSA: non-exempt and eligible for overtime pay
- Fund Type: Hard
- Work Location: Onsite
- Pivotal Position: Yes
- Referral Bonus Available?: No
- Relocation Assistance Available?: Yes
- Science Jobs: No
Keywords: University of Texas M.D. Anderson, Laredo , Interventional Radiology Tech - No Experience Required, Healthcare , Laredo, Texas
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