Technical Standards for the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Program

2. Manipulate equipment buttons and other mechanical components.

3. Properly operate computer keyboards, touch screens, and control panels.

4. Accurately draw up sterile contrast media and other solutions without contaminating the syringe and/or needles, etc.

5. Physically be able to move quickly and administer emergency care including performing CPR and using a defibrillator.

6. Have the ability to place an intravenous catheter and connect to male/female adapters.

7. Have the ability to touch your patient, palpate areas of the body, finding bony and soft tissue landmarks under the skin and manipulate anatomy to insure proper patient alignment and position.

2. Manipulate dials, buttons, computer mouse, and switches of various sizes.

3. Perform general assessment as to whether the patient can tolerate the procedure including vein assessment for injection, where applicable.

4. Compress/role foam ear plugs and place in patients ears for hearing protection.

2. Ability to push, pull and lift 50 pounds-for example, MRI imaging coils or help raise a patient’s pelvis to place a bedpan underneath them.

3. Ability to assist in team lift/transfers of patients in excess of 150lbs from stretcher to exam table and back.

4. Push a stretcher and/or wheelchair without injury to self, patients, or others.

5. Push monitoring equipment, patient IV pumps/other medical equipment from one location to another, including turning corners, getting on and off an elevator, and manipulating it in a patient’s room or over carpeting.

2. Observe and evaluate patient’s body habitus (size) for proper gown or coil selection or application of other medical equipment (i.e. blood pressure cuff)

3. Visualize veins for proper use for venipuncture/insertion of intravenous lines in an often dimly lit environment.

4. Ability to observe and evaluate patient while they are on the scan table looking for changes in status from a distance of at least 20 feet.

5. Visualize letters, numbers, calibrations of varying sizes located on imaging equipment, scanning monitors, computer monitors, or syringes.

6. Ability to differentiate 8-10 shades of gray when evaluating/critiquing MR images on film or on a monitor in a dimly lit environment.

7. Ability to differentiate primary colors.

8. Visualize and observe changes in patient skin color or status-rash from contrast reaction, lack of oxygen, flushing, necrotic, inflamed or infected tissue.

9. Visualize and observe changes in medical equipment/error messages that might indicate malfunction.

10.Safely work in dimly lit rooms.

2. Acknowledge monitor alarms, ringing phones, door signals, helium pumps, ferromagnetic detectors, emergency signals, and cries for help.

3. Ability to communicate with patients and medical staff over the phone and via intercom systems.

4. Ability to communicate, understand, and respond appropriately to comments, questions, and instructions given in person, over the phone, or from a distance including those given when personnel are wearing surgical masks.

5. Ability to work in a magnetic field environment of 0.5 Tesla or greater without the aid of non-MRI compatible hearing devices/implants.

2. Communicate with clear diction in a concise manner to instruct patients, relieve anxiety, and gain their cooperation before, during, and after procedures.

3. Understand patients when they are communicating symptoms of a medical emergency.

4. Read, type, and legibly write appropriate instructions and documentations in patients’ charts, MRI screening sheets, notes, and medical records accurately.

5. Document own actions and patient responses as indicated.

6. Elicit information and cooperation (i.e. obtaining patient history, gathering information for MRI safety screening, giving breathing instructions) from patients and their family members.

7. Describe changes in a patient’s mood, activity, and posture.

8. Perceive nonverbal communication (i.e. pain, lack of understanding)

9. Recognize and report critical patient information to other caregivers.

the performance of MRI exams and throughout the clinical day.

2. Ability to remember and recall

large amounts of information.

3. Ability to accurately read and transcribe illegible handwriting.

4. Ability to quickly assess patients’ conditions and other emergent situations, determine appropriate courses of action, request assistance or delegate responsibilities to other members of the healthcare team, and/or respond as needed.

5. Identify cause-effect relationships in clinical situations.

6. Evaluate images to ascertain that they contain proper identification and are of diagnostic value.

7. Assess patient’s condition and needs from a distance of at least 20 feet.

8. Initiate proper emergency care protocols, including CPR, based on assessment data.

9. Solve problems (i.e.: mathematical computation)

10.Comprehend three-dimensional relationships (i.e.:

anatomical relations)

11.Understand the spatial relationship of structures

12.Select modification of procedures and/or technical factors to accommodate patient age, size, condition, or extent of disease.

Demonstrate honesty and integrity beyond reproach. Possess interpersonal abilities sufficient to

interact with individuals, families, groups, etc. from a variety of social, emotional, cultural and

intellectual backgrounds

2. Tolerate a physically taxing workload.

3. Allow mature, sensitive and effective relationships with patients, healthcare workers, instructors and peers (interpersonal skills).

4. Maintain all professional boundaries with patients, visitors, and all members of the healthcare team.

5. Display flexibility and adaptions while working with diverse populations.

6. Effectively work within a team and workgroups.

7. Provide prompt and safe completion of all patient care responsibilities

8. Exhibit ethical behaviors and exercise good judgement.

9. Display compassion, empathy, integrity, concern for others, interest, motivation, and appreciation for cultural diversity.

2. Ability to tolerate risks and discomforts in the classroom and clinical setting that require working with sharps, chemicals, and infectious diseases.

3. Requirements to use protective clothing or gear such as masks, goggles, gloves, lead shields, or lead aprons.

4. Ability to work in noisy environments with frequent interruptions.

2. Ability to respond to patient’s changing physical or mental condition.

3. Function effectively under stress.

4. Tolerate a mentally taxing workload.

2. Evaluate the imaging equipment for proper function in order to assure patients and operator safety.

3. Practice accepted MRI safety/protection techniques for self, patients, technologists, and others.

4. Detect, interpret, and appropriately respond to verbal and non-verbal communication, acoustically generated signals (call bells, monitors, phones, microphones, headphones, and alarms).

5. Be free of any implants or devices that are determined unsafe/non-compatible for occupational exposure in an MR environment.

6. Safely work in magnetic field strengths of 1.0 Tesla and higher.

2. Detect burning and/or smoke.

2. Adapting to different technologies within the medical field, especially medical imaging.

2. Ability to tolerate physically taxing workloads.

3. Adapt to changing environments (flexible schedules, changes in break and lunch times, working on different types of MRI equipment at different clinical sites).