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 ...

     I only have 5 days left until I take the NBCOT certification exam.  I cannot believe how fast these past few months have flown by.  While a part of me wishes that I had more time to study, the other parts knows that there's not much more I can do, so lets just get this over with.  I hate taking tests.  ...

I spent most of yesterday at the VA Hospital having various tests performed and handing over copies of my fingerprints at the police station. I first met with a nice woman from HR who needed me to sign yet another form. She also informed me that I have more paperwork to complete on line. These forms seem to have no end. She then escorted me ...

Now that we are back in Florida, I am eagerly looking for a job. Thanks to a wonderful former colleague, I am now in the hiring process for a CT position at the VA Hospital. If any of you have ever applied for a government job you know it can be a lengthy process. They have told me it can take up to three months. I am trying to be patient as my ...

     I graduated!  I cannot believe that it is over.  I’m done with school.  I’m done with fieldwork.  It is all up to me now.  It hasn’t sunk in yet.  I have been waiting for this for over 2 years and now it’s finally here.     Going back to school at 29 years old was the ...

What a crazy week!  I started my final fieldwork placement in an acute care setting at a major hospital.  Talk about culture shock.  It is a whole different world there and I am scrambling to learn what I need to survive the next 7 weeks.  Everyone keeps telling me that I will see a lot there.  I have no doubt about ...

     Yesterday I found out where I would be placed for my final level 2.  I will be in acute care in a busy inner-city hospital.  I am a bit anxious about this placement.  Up to this point, I have been in adult day care, pediatric physical disabilities and pediatric development disabilities.  I have ...

Prior to applying to x-ray school I made an appointment to discuss the program and job outlook with the program manager. As she gave me the run down of the courses and clinicals I thought it sounded great. She told me that finding a job would be easy and that our clinical sites would offer us positions if we did a good job. This was back in ...

It happens every sememster, regardless of the class load or subjects, inevitably I get burnt out.  This semester it happened last week.  I have been completely unmotivated this week which is unfortunate because I have had a lot to do including a my first home evaluation that is due tomorrow.  It's almost done.  This has ...