NUCM 2607 - Practicum in Nuclear Medicine I

Credit hours: 6

Prerequisites: Admission to the Nuclear Medicine Technology Program

Course Description:
This is the first in the three part series of clinical education courses. The clinical experience is critical in allowing students to assimilate methods, theory, and techniques learned in didactic courses with real world experience. The objective for the clinical experience is not only to develop a student who is technically competent, but a professional who is capable of interacting in the healthcare environment in a manner which maximizes value to the system. Students will demonstrate an acceptable level of progression in clinical competency throughout the program which will culminate in a final competency level which is consistent with that of a registry eligible technologist.

Student Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to:

Provide patient care.
Prepare the patient for an examination
Perform administrative procedures
Under supervision of an authorized user or radiation safety officer, maintains compliance with local, state and federal regulations in radiation safety practices.
Follow appropriate protection procedures thereby limiting the radiation exposure of the patient, public, fellow workers, and self to as low a level as reasonably achievable (ALARA).
Perform radiation surveys.
Perform decontamination procedures.
Dispose of radioactive waste and maintains appropriate records according to license conditions.
Participate in a hospital’s in-service education program to instruct other personnel regarding radiation and principles of radiation protection.
Evaluate the performance of scintillation cameras.
Evaluate the performance of a PET or PET/CT scanner.
Evaluate the performance of NaI (Tl) scintillation probes and well counters.
Operate survey meters.
Evaluate the operation of a dose calibrator.
Operate and maintains film processors.
Initiate purchases of radiopharmaceutical products and adjunct supplies.
Prepare and verify the quality of radiopharmaceuticals under the direction of an authorized user.
Be responsible for the identification and labeling of all radiopharmaceutical preparations.
Prepare individual dosages under the direction of an authorized user.
Perform imaging procedures.
Perform non-imaging in-vivo studies.