Occupation Details
Nuclear Medicine Technologists
Prepare, administer, and measure radioactive isotopes in therapeutic, diagnostic, and tracer studies using a variety of radioisotope equipment. Prepare stock solutions of radioactive materials and calculate doses to be administered by radiologists. Subject patients to radiation. Execute blood volume, red cell survival, and fat absorption studies following standard laboratory techniques.
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Interests
Realistic
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Investigative
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Social
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Work Values
Working Conditions
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Relationships
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Support
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Salary & Job Outlook
Starting Salary
$80,580.00
New York StateMedian Salary
$102,110.00
New York StateExperienced Salary
$108,810.00
New York StateNational Average for Comparison
New York State Job Market Outlook
Jobs Right Now (2018)
960
professionals in NYFuture Job Growth (2030)
1,110
+15 jobs/yearNew Jobs Every Year
87
new opportunities yearlyGrowth Rate
0.2%
projected increasePreparation: Experience, Training, and Education
The list below outlines the prior educational experience required to perform in this occupation.
College Helps - Some college classes or training
Experience Requirements
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Education Requirements
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Training Details
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Transferrable Skills and Experience
These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include hydroelectric production managers, desktop publishers, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, court reporters and simultaneous captioners, and medical assistants.
School Programs
The following lists school programs which are applicable to this occupation.
Licensing & Certification
State License and Certifications Requirements are not currently associated with this occupation.
Skills
The list below includes the skills required by workers in this occupation; skills are what allow you to learn more quickly and improve your performance.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Skill level is measured on a seven point scale, where one means 'some competence required for this occupation' and seven means 'a high level of expertise required for this occupation'.
Knowledge
The list below includes knowledge items, the principles and facts required by this occupation.
Customer and Personal Service
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Biology
Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Physics
Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
Medicine and Dentistry
Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Chemistry
Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Computers and Electronics
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Mathematics
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Knowledge level is measured on a seven point scale, where one means 'some competence required for this occupation' and seven means 'a high level of expertise required for this occupation'.
Work Environment
The list below includes the physical and social factors that influence the nature of work in this occupation.
Hover over or tap each factor to see its description.
Work Styles
Included in the list below are the personal work style characteristics that can affect how well a worker is likely to perform in this occupation.
Adaptability/Flexibility
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Analytical Thinking
Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Attention to Detail
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Concern for Others
Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Cooperation
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Dependability
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Independence
Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Integrity
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Self-Control
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Stress Tolerance
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
Tools & Technology
This list below describes the machines, equipment, tools, software, and information technology that workers in this occupation will use.
Tools
- Automated blood pressure cuffs
- Automated external defibrillators AED
- Automated multisample liquid scintillation counters
- Automatic film developing equipment
- Beta vial shields
- Blood drawing syringes
- Computed tomography CT scanners
- Desktop computers
- Digital ratemeters
- Dose calibrators
- Dual channel spectrometer systems
- Dual headed gamma cameras
- Electrocardiography EKG units
- Evacuated blood collection tubes
- Finger film badges
- Gamma scintillation counters
- Geiger-Mueller meters
- Infusion pumps
- Intramuscular hypodermic needles
- Intravenous IV sets
- Ion chamber survey meters
- Laptop computers
- Large-field gamma cameras
- Linear accelerator collimator equipment
- Medical gamma cameras
- Medical image laser printers
- Medical picture archiving computer systems PACS
- Medical positron emission tomography PET scanners
- Medical single photo emission computed tomography SPECT equipment
- Metal laboratory tongs
Technology
- Medovation RadRunner
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
Duties
Duties are job behaviors describing activities that occur on multiple jobs. The generalized and detailed work activities described in the list below apply to this occupation.
- analyze medical data
- communicate technical information
- make presentations on health or medical issues
- explain testing procedures to patient
- prepare radioactive isotopes for therapeutic applications
- calculate radiation dosage, following physician's prescription
- make decisions
- identify body response variations
- understand properties or composition of drugs
- understand technical operating, service or repair manuals
- observe patient condition
- use medical diagnostic equipment
- collect clinical data
- use emergency medical procedures
- use hazardous materials information
- follow dental or medical office procedures
- follow dental or medical x-ray procedures
- follow patient care procedures
- follow patient observation procedures
- use quality assurance techniques
- use sanitation practices in health care settings
- use knowledge of medical terminology
- follow clinical radiation safety procedures
- use clinical sterilizing technique
- use darkroom procedures in radiology or medical or dental lab setting
- use knowledge of investigation techniques
- inventory medical supplies or instruments
- administer injections
- administer radioactive isotopes
- prepare patients for tests, therapy, or treatments
Tasks
The list below outlines specific tasks that a worker in this occupation is called upon to do regularly.
- Administer radiopharmaceuticals or radiation intravenously to detect or treat diseases, using radioisotope equipment, under direction of a physician.
- Detect and map radiopharmaceuticals in patients' bodies, using a camera to produce photographic or computer images.
- Process cardiac function studies, using computer.
- Calculate, measure, and record radiation dosage or radiopharmaceuticals received, used, and disposed, using computer and following physician's prescription.
- Produce a computer-generated or film image for interpretation by a physician.
- Record and process results of procedures.
- Explain test procedures and safety precautions to patients and provide them with assistance during test procedures.
- Prepare stock radiopharmaceuticals, adhering to safety standards that minimize radiation exposure to workers and patients.
- Perform quality control checks on laboratory equipment or cameras.
- Dispose of radioactive materials and store radiopharmaceuticals, following radiation safety procedures.
- Gather information on patients' illnesses and medical history to guide the choice of diagnostic procedures for therapy.
- Maintain and calibrate radioisotope and laboratory equipment.
- Position radiation fields, radiation beams, and patient to allow for most effective treatment of patient's disease, using computer.
- Add radioactive substances to biological specimens, such as blood, urine, or feces, to determine therapeutic drug or hormone levels.
- Measure glandular activity, blood volume, red cell survival, or radioactivity of patient, using scanners, Geiger counters, scintillometers, or other laboratory equipment.
- Train or supervise student or subordinate nuclear medicine technologists.
- Develop treatment procedures for nuclear medicine treatment programs.
Learning Resources
More information on this occupation may be found in the links provided below.
Cornell University Summer College Program: Biological Research and Health Professions
<p>Biological research and the health professions are the hottest fields in science. From biotechnology to rediscovering ancient methods of healing and making brand-new medical breakthroughs you'll learn about different career options, hear what it takes to get the necessary training, and find out what everyday life is like as a researcher or doctor.</p>
Learn MoreCornell University Summer College Program: Body, Mind, and Health - Perspectives for Future Medical Professionals
Are you a Sophomore, Junior, or a high school Senior? Spend 3 weeks and earn 3 credits at Cornell University exploring the fascinating past, present, and future of American medicine.
Learn MoreInstitute of Medicine (IOM)
The nation turns to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies for science-based advice on matters of biomedical science, medicine, and health. The Institute provides unbiased, evidence-based, and authoritative information and advice concerning health and science policy to policy-makers, professionals, leaders in every sector of society, and the public at large.
Learn MoreNuclear medicine technologists
Visit this link for additional information on this career from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; a publication produced and maintained by the United States Department of Labor.
Learn MoreRadiologic (X-Ray) Technicians
Visit this link for information on this career in the military.
Learn More