The applications of CT continue to unfold and in the process save lives. Scientists are now using scans to study the development of insects in the place of dissection which is time consuming and kills the specimens. Think of how many tiny lives could be saved. Insects make up between 50% and 85% of the animals on this planet, but not much is ...

Anyone who has ever CT scanned a patient who is allergic to the IV contrast knows how scary it can be. Previously, I only dealt with inpatients so I could confirm with the nurse that the patient had in fact received the allergy prep medications. Now I am working almost exclusively with outpatients. This week I had five patients who were ...

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 ...

At my previous job I worked in a busy ER doing CT and didn’t have to learn to start IVs. We didn’t call for patients unless they already had a line established. I got good at telling which IVs were power injectable and which ones wouldn’t hold. At my current job the majority of my patients are outpatients so they all need an IV. I have been ...

I’ve been working in CT for 2 ¼ years and I know I have so much more to learn. I know I’m not the best at starting IVs or scanning or MPRs. What I do know is that my patient care skills are excellent. I try to anticipate the needs of my patients. As soon as they lie down on the table I cover them with a blanket. CT rooms are notoriously cold. I ...

The reason I got into healthcare was to make a difference in people's lives. If I have the opportunity to make a real connection with someone during a shift that does it for me. This past weekend I had this privilege. I went to the waiting room to get my patient and we hit it off right away. He had a long, difficult to pronounce last name and I ...

With week one under my belt, I feel like I’m headed in the right direction. The more I work the more it’s all coming back to me. I was also surprised to see that my medical Spanish was only dormant and hadn’t been forgotten. Working with veterans is very rewarding. They are grateful for their care and always have good stories to share. As I ...

I have officially started my new CT job at the VA. So far everyone has been extremely nice during my training. There’s so much to learn between the workflow, protocols, and the new machine. GE isn’t as user friendly as Philips but I am catching on. The majority of my patients are out patients so this is a nice change from my previous job in ...

Today was my first day of new employee orientation. It went as good as can be expected and will continue for the next two days. I will start training in CT at the end of the week. I’ve never worked a job with a commute of more than 15 minutes and now I have one that is about 45 minutes. If I’m not early I feel late, so I will be adjusting to ...

With my new job beginning next week, I realized that I should get back to the basics. I haven’t worked in CT since October of 2011 so a return to the books is in order. I have been freshening up on my anatomy and positioning and revisiting old text books. I have only worked on a Philips machine and the VA has GE equipment. I am told they ...