NUCM 2627 - Practicum in Nuclear Medicine III

Credit hours: 6

Prerequisites: NUCM 2200 - Introduction to Molecular Imaging, NUCM 2301 - Physics and Instrumentation, NUCM 2205 - Clinical Procedures I, NUCM 2607 - Practicum in Nuclear Medicine I, NUCM 2208 - Radiopharmacology, NUCM 2312 - Advanced Instrumentation and Radiation Biology, NUCM 2114 - Presenting Research in Nuclear Medicine, NUCM 2215 - Clinical Procedures II, and NUCM 2617 - Practicum in Nuclear Medicine II

Course Description:
This is the third course in the three part series of clinical education courses. The objective for this course is to build on the competencies developed in the first two semesters. The student is expected to acquire and demonstrate mastery of the required clinical competencies defined by the Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine as Essential. Students will demonstrate a level of clinical competency which is consistent with those of a registry eligible technologist in cognitive, psychomotor, and affective level skills.

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.
Perform therapeutic nuclear medicine under the supervision of a technologist and/or physician.