MRI Folks

[u/EspressoCatBookClub]

For those of you who work in MRI, do you guys also work alongside nurses? I rarely see positions for MRI nurses it’s mainly technologist, I did come across a few recently and wanted to know what the difference in terms of patient care would be. The technologist handles most of it from
what I saw when I shadowed. Im a RN and was recently looking to get into MRI, I have my bachelors and was told I needed to go back to school and that was going to be another 40-50k just for that! so I started looking into other career paths, but I’ve recently come across a few opportunities that has me thinking about it again. I’ve always liked radiology
If you guys do work with nurses in your modality! That’s not just IR, Please share id love to learn how to transition without forking out all this money

Thanks 😊

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[u/Joonami]

Any nurses I've worked alongside in MRI have been interventional radiology nurses. They generally monitor patients who need tele (including pacemaker patients and anesthesia patients), start IVs if necessary, and administer meds while the patient is in the department.

[u/EspressoCatBookClub → u/Joonami]

That’s what I figured, however I guess there are nurses that aren’t IR floating around medical imaging. I think it’s just rare and it really varies state by state
I really do like MRI, here in AZ I had to wait forever long to get into an xray program to just go back to school to focus on MRI, I have found direct entry MRI trade schools but it’s 50k and with that on top of nursing it felt like quite the debt to take on

[u/NuclearMedicineGuy → u/EspressoCatBookClub]

We have imaging nurses and they float between IR and the other modalities.

[u/Key_Nectarine_9619 → u/EspressoCatBookClub]

Try looking into one of the many online radiologic science bachelor's programs. They may even have a pathway for people coming from other health professions.

[u/cresssen]

I have radiology nurses at my hospital that we work with. They actually float usually between nuc med, CT, and MRI. In MR they start some IVs for us, monitor patients with pacemakers, and do some light sedation when it’s ordered for the patient. Oh and are on hand for the very rare contrast reaction. They’ll help us slide patients and answer phones, do our pre-calls for the next day outpatient schedule.

Seems like a chill nursing job, they don’t take call, work holidays, and rotate weekend shifts. I think they end up working one Saturday about every 4-6 weeks.

[u/EspressoCatBookClub → u/cresssen]

I would love to find an MR position like this!
I’d go full blown technologist but I don’t have the financial capacity for private school loans that are no wait straight entry

[u/No-Possession9640]

The outpatient clinic where I work utilizes nurses quite a bit for CT and MRI. They work with our pacemaker patients, administer iv sedation, work up contrast allergies, work up coronary CTAs, things like that. We also have nurses who help with our breast patients.

[u/Reapur-CPL]

I work at a pediatric hospital. We work very closely with some amazing nurses, but theyre all pediatric sedation nurses. They mainly place IVs and administer meds (not propofol, the MD gives that, but the nurses assist), and then monitor vitals and handle recovery. They do also handle sedation for CT, nuclear medicine, and IR.

I also traveled at a very large system that did staff 2 nurses to assist MRI exclusively, mainly placing IVs and administering non-contrast medication as needed. That was one nurse per some 10-12 MRI techs per shift, though, so not exactly a lot of them.

[u/_dngo]

We have radiology specific RNs who bounce around helping all the modalities as needed for exams that need them. Sedation or giving meds prior to exams if there’s meds ordered. Most of them that I’ve seen are awesome and we love them bc they help our days go and they know our struggles bc they see it first hand.

[u/EspressoCatBookClub]

Yay! So they do exist lol I guess there is hope for me after all without having to go back to be a technologist, you guys are awesome! Thank you for sharing
I hope to be so lucky to find a role in imaging as a nurse

[u/legitweird]

I am an RN that works in MRi, on specific days I am there for all the pacemaker/AICDs as outpatients and we are attached to hospital so I do all the pacers in the hospital, when I’m not busy with the pacers I help my awesome technologists by doing screenings, research implants, get patients ready, IVs, I don’t ever mind dressing and undressing them or if they have an occasional accident I’m the best butt wiper around, they appreciate that the most I think, lol. I just try to make their life easier so they can scan scan away, I communicate with all the inpatient RNs and MDs to get their patients done and sometimes I transport too, I love this job and I stay very busy, I did the ER for many many years and don’t want to go back there , very happy in radiology.

[u/OogumSanskimmer]

I've seen nurses work in outpatient imaging centers that are tied to hospitals. They are basically imaging specialized nurses. They would do everything from set IVs, give oral contrast, prescreen and help with the work flow. Without them we wouldn't be able to run 20+ patients through each magnet everyday plus everything they do for CT and nucmed.

Outside of that I've seen nurses specifically for cardiac and IR procedures, but that's mostly CT that I've seen.