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What Does a Radiology Nurse Do?

Radiology nurses care for patients undergoing internal examinations--including CTs, angiographies, MRIs, ultrasounds, and nuclear medicine--that help diagnose and treat diseases such as cancer, heart disease, appendicitis, pancreatitis, and other internal medical conditions.

Radiology nurses' roles are vital to patients, as radiology nurse/president of the American Radiological Nurses Association (ARNA) pointed out in a Nurse Week article: "The primary role of the radiology nurse is as a patient advocate…" Radiology nurses explain procedures to patients, administer and monitor conscious sedation, and are a source of patient support during treatment. Afterwards, radiology nurses educate patients and their families on post-procedure care.

Education & Training Required to Become Radiology Nurse

To become a radiology nurse, you must be a registered nurse (RN). Registered nurses must earn a diploma, associate's, or bachelor's degree and nursing and must also pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN). Many career paths in nursing are only open to RNs with a bachelor's degree. If you are already an RN and want to enhance your job prospects, you can enroll in an online RN to BSN program to earn the four-year degree.

Certification can enhance your job prospects and can be earned by passing a Radiologic Nursing Certification Board (RNCB) exam. To sit for the exam, you must be a licensed RN with a minimum of 2,000 hours in radiology nursing within the past 3 years.

Typical Characteristics of a Radiology Nurse

You will need strong critical care skills to be a radiology nurse. You should be highly organized, work well under pressure, act quickly in emergencies, and have a calming, steady presence. Strong communication skills and compassion are also needed.

High Demand for Radiology Nurses

Specialty nursing is booming across health care. Radiology nurses are part of this explosion, as evidenced by the rising numbers of radiology nurses' associations, including the American Radiological Nurses Association and the Association for Radiologic & Imaging Nursing.

Registered nurses, including radiology nurses, are expected to be in high demand over the next decade, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS predicts an increase of RN jobs by 581,500 by 2018. The median salary for an RNs in 2008 was $62,450, BLS data shows. The best job prospects are often for nurses who have a bachelor's degree in nursing and have completed certification in a specialty like radiology nursing.