The tough job market continues to affect me. I got hired at the VA as a fee-based CT technologist on a part time basis. I was told that I would work 5 days a week every other week until the two full-time open positions were filled. This was supposed to take me at least into the fall of this year. In an unprecedented turn of events, the usually ...

After going on an interview in mid December of last year, I was just given my start date at the VA of mid March. I guess it’s better late than never.  I was initially supposed to begin orientation today but some unfinished paperwork held things up.  I have seen first hand that getting a government job takes quite a bit longer than a ...

In Canada, CT scans will now be more readily available to four legged patients. Charlottetown’s Atlantic Veterinary College in Prince Edward Island is testing a new CT machine that will be used to diagnose animals. In the past, only the critical cases were taken to a local human hospital under sedation and scanned. This new machine will be ...

This week I went for my annual eye exam. The optometrist I saw was absolutely wonderful. Her bedside manner was extraordinary and she provided me with extra information like how my hypertension affects my eye health. She also gave me a detailed description of how fish oil and flax seed oil can help treat my dry eyes. She spent well over 75 ...

As much as I miss my former colleagues and my job, I don't miss working on holidays. I was scheduled to work on Christmas from 7a-7p. I usually signed up to work this holiday so my co-workers with children could have it off. Although most stores and businesses close early today, hospitals are always open. Don't take for granted that whatever ...

When I started x-ray school I had no idea what I was about to ask of my body. Anyone working as a radiologic technologist knows what I am talking about. The physical demands of the job can be overwhelming. Many of my former colleagues have back problems from the repetitive strain of moving patients and/or equipment. The most common ...

The old adage that it's better to be safe than sorry truly applies to the necessity of CT scans after a car accident. At times patients thought some of the trauma doctors were ordering unnecessary scans, but something could have been wrong even though the patient wasn't experiencing any symptoms at that time. We saw people come from other ...

This past weekend I encountered a frustrating situation. We had a patient come over for a scan that necessitated IV contrast and thus an IV. As I was talking to this patient she told me that she's a very hard stick and it took the RN a while to get the current access. As I flushed the IV it felt weird, like something was off. I proceeded to flush ...

I've been away on vacation for about the past two weeks. I took some time off to celebrate my husband's birthday and our first wedding anniversary. We had a wonderful time but it always feels good to come home. Dare I say I miss work? Well at least I miss feeling like I'm making a difference in someone's life. That connection I ...

You can say just about anything as long as you say it nicely. Our word choice and tone of voice drastically affect the reactions and outcomes we get when communicating. When speaking to patients it is very important to make certain they hear us and are receptive to our instructions so we can get the best x-ray or scan possible. Portable chest ...