Technical Standards

The Reid Health School of Radiologic Technology has specified that student radiographers must be able to meet and maintain certain minimum technical abilities in order to effectively function in this highly demanding field. Therefore, all prospective students applying for enrollment must:

HAVE THE MENTAL OR INTELLECTUAL CAPACITY TO:

• Meet all of the educational requirements.
• Effectively express themselves in both oral and written English to a variety of patient and professional groups.
• Calculate, select and manipulate exposure factors according to individual patient needs and the requirements of the procedure’s standards of speed and accuracy.
• Critique and evaluate radiographs for the purpose of identifying proper patient positioning, patient identification, proper exposure factors and other pertinent technical qualities.

POSSESS THE BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL ATTRIBUTES THAT:

• Assure the emotional health required to fully utilize their intellectual abilities.
• Enable them to exercise good judgment under stress.
• Help them to render both emotional as well as physical support to their patients before, during and after radiographic procedures.
• Enable them to tolerate taxing workloads, adapt to an ever changing environment, display flexibility, and learn to function in the face of uncertainties inherent in the clinical problems of many patients.
• Are evidenced by compassion, integrity, concern for others, self motivation, organization, promptness, and professional discretion.

PHYSICALLY BE ABLE TO:

• See with normal visual acuity or have corrective lenses which will improve vision necessary to evaluate radiographic quality, enable visual observation of all patient activity, and accurately read written orders.
• Hear normally, or wear a device which enables accurate assessment of blood pressure and breath sounds, verbal orders, and during emergencies, alarms or distress calls from patients and/or staff.
• Speak English with volume, clarity and without excessive impediment in order to effectively communicate with patients.
• Lift weight comparable to that encountered while transferring patients to and from beds, carts, wheelchairs and radiographic equipment.
• Demonstrate levels of manual dexterity and eye/hand coordination necessary to proficiently manipulate radiographic and medical equipment.
• Push, pull, bend, kneel, and squat in a manner routinely necessary for radiographic activities.
• Perform radiographic duties while standing on feet 80% of the time.
• Participate in clinical education rotations involving night time hours, and weekends.
• Work with sick patients who may have communicable diseases.
• Be exposed to low levels of ionizing radiation.
• Be 17 years of age by January 1 of the year which they are seeking admission. No upper limits of age have been established.