Therapeutic Radiologic Technologist

Therapeutic Radiologic Technologist

The Therapeutic Radiologic Technologist is a registered Therapeutic Radiologic Technologist with major duties including:

• Demonstrate an understanding of human cross-sectional anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, and medical terminology
• Identify individual patient by the required identification methods set forth by hospital policy before simulation or radiation treatment is delivered
• Properly operate CT simulator with supervision, provides reproducible patient treatment position set-ups that can be accurately used for daily treatments on the Linear Accelerator
• Prepare contrast materials that are to be used for treatment simulations. Ensures proper use or administration of the contrast materials to avoid the risk of patient mortality
• Able to recognize abnormalities in lab work and notify the radiation oncologist/nurse of these abnormalities
• Work with other radiation therapists, the radiation oncologist, dosimetrist, and medical physicist as a member of the radiation therapy team
• Be familiar with the principals of DRR and electronic transfer of information and images
• Confer with radiation oncologist to determine requirements/protocols for site specific simulations or those on protocol
• Determine technical factors, positioning, number, and thickness of scans, etc., to produce and satisfy requirements of CT scanning
• Perform reconstructions of CT studies when requested, when part of a standard procedure, or when required for protocol review
• Properly identify patient images
• Indicate on patient's skin with tattoos and or markings necessarily needed to locate treatment area
• Properly operate a linear accelerator and perform simulation verification before treatment
• Obtain iso-center verification, treatment field verification of conformal blocking, with multi-leaf collimator
• Utilize electronic and/or radiation treatment chart for set-up instructions, field size, field shaping, SSD, field compensators and beam restrictions
• Employ any necessary accessory beam restriction devices, i.e., bolus or collimator angles for fields to be treated
• Verify correct multi-leaf collimation and electronic dynamic wedges. Delivers prescribed mode of treatment in accordance with prescribed radiation prescription and plan including conventional, 3-D conformal, electron delivery
• IMRT treatment delivery, IGRT and respiratory gating procedures
• Promptly record in patient's electronic treatment chart any change in treatment, i.e., change in patients SSD reading, change in field measurements, adjustments to position of treatment field, or patients' treatment status if not treated, to make corrections in the treatment calendar, calculations or prescription if needed
• Notify physics staff of equipment issues and follows instruction. Reports all environmental and/or equipment issues to the Supervisory Radiation therapist. Performs irregular hour emergency treatments on standby, in compliance with department policy, so that proper and effective emergency care can be given to the patient
• Knowledgeable of the MU calc program for use with emergency patients
• Able to determine the appropriate timely sequence for patient studies and any special orders required
• Continually keep current with new developments in the field of radiation therapy and being able to utilize the new technologies available
• Provide the patients with accurate and compassionate treatment
• Coordinate scheduling of simulation, planning and treatment procedures
• Schedule treatments in a manner as to optimize accelerator times while maintaining flexibility for emergency cases. This requires the ability to prioritize scheduled patients as well as the ability to accommodate the emergency patient who may need immediate simulation and treatment
• Obtain weekly machine check for rotational therapy and electronic dynamic wedge verification
• Instruct newly hired therapists on new techniques or equipment
• Provide feedback to supervisor on the technical aspects of work
• Analyze data collected for ongoing departmental quality and improvement process

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30 am - 4:00 pm

Telework: Not available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position

Functional Statement #: 94181-0

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

US Department of Veterans Affairs