Main duties

Radiological technologists perform some or all of the following duties:

• Operate X-ray, radiographic and fluoroscopic equipment, computerized tomography (CT) scanners, mammography units and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners to produce radiographs or anatomic images of the human body for the diagnosis by radiologists of disease or injury
• Record and process patient data
• Perform basic verification and quality control checks on radiographic and film processing equipment
• Provide appropriate care for the patient during the radiographic examination
• Apply radiation protection measures
• May train and supervise student radiographers or supervise other radiological technologists.
• Radiological technologists may specialize in areas such as computerized tomography, angiography, mammography, magnetic resonance imaging, interventional radiology, dosimetry, stereotaxy or brachytherapy.

Nuclear medicine technologists perform some or all of the following duties:

• Prepare radiopharmaceuticals, such as radionuclides and other materials and administer them to patients or to biological samples
• Operate radiation detection equipment, such as gamma cameras, scanners, scintillation counters, tomodensitometers and ionization chambers, to acquire data for use by nuclear medicine physicians in the diagnosis of disease
• Perform diagnostic procedures using radioactive materials on biological specimens, such as blood, urine and faeces
• Record and process results of procedures
• Check equipment to ensure proper operation
• Provide appropriate care for the patient during the examination
• Apply radiation protection measures
• May train and supervise student nuclear medicine technologists or supervise other nuclear medicine technologists.

Radiation therapists perform some or all of the following duties:

• Operate linear accelerators, cobalt 60, X-ray and other radiation therapy equipment to administer radiation treatment prescribed by radiation oncologists
• Check radiation therapy equipment to ensure proper operation
• Assist radiation oncologists and clinical physicists with preparation of radiation treatment plan
• Assist in the preparation of sealed radioactive materials such as cobalt, radium, cesium and isotopes and the construction of devices such as plaster casts and acrylic moulds to assist with administration of radiation treatment
• Monitor the patient's physical and psychological well-being during the entire course of treatment
• Advise the patient regarding side effects of radiation
• May train and supervise student radiotherapy technologists or supervise other radiotherapy technologists.

Employment requirements

• Completion of a two- to three-year college, hospital or other approved program in diagnostic radiography (for radiological technologists), nuclear medicine technology (for nuclear medicine technologists) or radiation therapy (for radiation therapists) or A bachelor of health sciences in radiography, nuclear medicine or radiation therapy and A period of supervised practical training are required.

• Licensure with a regulatory body is required in all provinces.

• Certification by the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists is required in all provinces except Quebec.

• Experience as a medical radiation technologist is required for supervisors and instructors.