Careers in Nuclear Medicine by the Australian and New Zealand Society of Nu

Careers in

Nuclear Medicine by the Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine

What is Nuclear Medicine?

Nuclear medicine is an exciting branch of medical imaging that uses liquid or gaseous radioactive substances known as radiopharmaceuticals to generate images that are used to diagnose or treat human disorders.

Some radioisotopes may also be used to treat disease or relieve pain. The unique feature of nuclear medicine is the ability to provide both the biological and anatomical information of the disease.

A radiopharmaceutical is a combination of a small quantity of radioactive material (a radioisotope) that is attached to a medicine (pharmaceutical) - once administered to the patient, the radiopharmaceutical can localise and accumulate in specific organs or abnormal areas.

Imaging

After administering a small amount of radiopharmaceutical (by injection, inhalation or ingestion), the targeted organ gives off energy in the form of gamma rays or positrons, which are detected by a specific scanner. This produces images of the area on a computer screen, allowing doctors to see the effect and extent of a disease in the body. Nuclear medicine is a very sensitive test meaning that it can identify abnormalities very early in the disease process, often earlier than other diagnostic tests. In diagnostic nuclear medicine, the radiation doses are relatively low compared to the benefits gained.

Treatment

When used for treatment, the radiopharmaceutical targets the area of abnormality to be treated.

The treatment is typically swallowed or injected depending on the type of disease. The amount of radioactivity used in a typical procedure is kept within strict safety guideline limits.

Nuclear medicine scans assist in diagnosing physiologic processes (eg, blood flow and function) in organs including the brain, heart, lungs, liver, gallbladder, kidneys, thyroid and bones.

Nuclear medicine is also now an essential part of the diagnosis and management of patients with many disease processes including sporting injuries, fractures, cancer, and occult infection.

Careers in Nuclear Medicine @ 2022

A team of qualified personnel are required in the field of nuclear medicine in order to perform these scans. These include: Nuclear Medicine Technologist/Scientist, Nuclear Medicine Specialist, Nuclear Medicine Physicist, Radiochemist, Radiopharmacist, Nuclear Medicine Nurse.

Nuclear Medicine

Technologist/Scientist Nuclear medicine technologists also known as nuclear medicine scientists, are highly skilled allied health professionals who perform many aspects of acquiring diagnostic images and preparing radioisotope therapies under the guidance of the nuclear medicine doctor.

The nuclear medicine technologist/scientist must possess excellent people skills as they work directly with the patient, doctors and other members of the nuclear medicine and healthcare team. They are involved in all aspects of patient care and therefore need to have the ability to clearly communicate the procedure in order to acquire a good quality end result. They also need to have practical skills to operate the equipment and have computer skills to process the images. In addition, they must also maintain a good knowledge of technological advances in the nuclear medicine field.

A nuclear medicine technologist/scientist may perform the following tasks: • Determining the patient’s history and ensuring suitability of the scan • Explanation of the procedure to the patient • Preparation, calibration and administration of radiopharmaceuticals • Perform and process the scan to acquire the images required • Liaise with the nuclear medicine specialists regarding the images and other necessary interventions • Ensure patient safety and comfort during the scan • Providing radiation safety advice to patients and carers • Teaching and supervision of students and trainees • Evaluating and ensuring the performance of the scanners and other equipment used for the procedure • Become involved in research projects • Work with other allied health professionals to provide the best patient care

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Nuclear Medicine

Specialist

Nuclear medicine specialists are medical doctors who specialise in nuclear medicine. They use radiation to diagnose and treat diseases. Nuclear medicine specialists interpret imaging scans, evaluate the disease process, and make a diagnosis. They then liaise and discuss the results with referring doctors, who decide the patient management. Nuclear medicine specialists also treat patients who require radiation treatment, for a variety of clinical conditions including non-cancerous conditions.

They have a broad knowledge of many disease processes because they work with a wide range of medical conditions.

Together with the rest of the nuclear medicine team, they are also responsible for the smooth and efficient running of the Nuclear Medicine Department. They ensure that the department provides professional services to staff and patients, including appropriate radiation safety precautions and quality images to referring specialists.

Nuclear medicine specialists can work in many different practices such as outpatient imaging clinics, public hospitals and research institutes. They may supervise trainee specialists and also teach medical students. Nuclear medicine specialists keep their knowledge up to date by attending national and international conferences, reading journal articles and participating in continuous professional development activities.

A nuclear medicine specialist may perform the following tasks: • Interview and obtain relevant history from patients • Perform cardiac stress tests on the treadmill or exercise bike • Interpret scans to diagnose or evaluate disease • Prescribe radiation treatment • Work as part as a multidisciplinary team with other health professionals to ensure that the best patient management is carried out

Nuclear Medicine

Physicist

A nuclear medicine physicist is a physics and science expert, with a strong background in mathematics, physics and technology. The uniqueness of this career is that it links together the physical, medical and biological science aspects of nuclear medicine.

Nuclear medicine physicists are responsible for scanner instrumentation, scientific computing, and radiation safety.

They may also be involved in research and development.

Nuclear medicine physicists assist in providing the best quality scans, by ensuring that the systems and processes used by nuclear medicine technologists/scientists are performed to required standards and know the steps to take to remedy any problems.

They also provide radiation safety information to assist radioisotope treatments and ensure protection of individuals exposed to ionising radiation.

A nuclear medicine physicist may perform the following tasks: • • • • •

Provide advice and ensure radiation protection standards are maintained Ensure the integrity and accuracy of the nuclear medicine equipment Optimisation and safety of nuclear medicine treatments Computer processing software development Quality management through teaching, training and research projects

Radiochemist A radiochemist specialises in nuclear chemistry and is responsible for radiolabelling with isotopes to make radiopharmaceuticals, which are used to diagnose, investigate and treat diseases.

Radiochemists use complex chemistry to produce radiopharmaceuticals. They are specialists in organic chemistry, physical chemistry and chemistry instrumentation.

A radiochemist may perform the following tasks: • Synthesise radiopharmaceuticals for nuclear medicine imaging • Develop new radiotracers for use in novel imaging of diseases such as prostate cancer, infection, dementia and other diseases

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Radiopharmacist Radiopharmacists are pharmacists who specialise in radioactive medicines and ensure that a radiopharmaceutical is safe for patient use.

To guarantee safety for patients, radiopharmacists perform quality control tests because quality is essential for the correct interpretation of scan results. Radiopharmacists also confirm a patient is receiving the correct medicine and then calculate and deliver the correct dosage ready for patient usage. Radiopharmacists can also synthesise radiopharmaceuticals.

Radiopharmacists have a solid background in pharmaceutical sciences, including, microbiology, chemistry, pharmacology and radiation physics. They have practical skills in pharmacy and radiation safety.

Radiopharmacists need good communication skills as they often discuss the mechanisms, characteristics, and safe handling of radiopharmaceuticals with other health professionals. Radiopharmacists face the challenge of developing new and improved adiopharmaceuticals.

Therefore, there is considerable scope for research and development.

A radiopharmacist may perform the following tasks: • Quality control testing of radiopharmaceuticals • Ensuring best practice for the delivery of safe pharmaceuticals • Working as an integral part of a multi-disciplinary team for clinic and research for patient management • Attend scientific meetings to present research and development

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Nuclear Medicine

Nurse

Nuclear medicine nurses are registered nurses who specialise in nuclear medicine.

These nurses care for patients from every hospital speciality. Therefore, they must have a good knowledge of different diseases and the nursing care requirements.

Nuclear medicine nurses coordinate patient transfers, provide nursing care while patients are undergoing a nuclear medicine treatment and assist with procedures within the department, such as preparing and assisting doctors with cardiac stress tests. Nuclear medicine nurses usually have at least 2-3 years experience working in various hospital wards before specialising in nuclear medicine.

A nuclear medicine nurse may perform the following tasks: • Prepare patients and assist with cardiac stress tests • Assist the nuclear medicine technologist/scientist with imaging procedures, including paediatric scans • Provide medication to patients and coordinate patient transfers • Perform blood tests • Occupational health and safety issues within the department, including infection control • Ensure nuclear medicine nursing protocols follow the relevant radiation guidelines & legislation

To pursue a career in the following nuclear medicine professions, specific course work and training needs to be completed.

Nuclear Medicine Technologist/Scientist A nuclear medicine technologist/scientist has usually completed a 3 or 4 year undergraduate course specialising in nuclear medicine (Bachelor of Medical Radiation Science or Bachelor of Applied Science (Medical Radiations)). Some universities offer a Master of Nuclear Medicine course for individuals who have obtained appropriate undergraduate qualifications. During the course, students visit various Nuclear Medicine Departments for clinical training. On completion of their degree, they participate in further “on the job” training in an accredited Nuclear Medicine Department. At the completion of such training, the nuclear medicine technologists/ scientists are then qualified to work anywhere throughout Australia and New Zealand.

Nuclear Medicine Specialist A nuclear medicine specialist has completed a medical degree. Specialists can then choose to specialise as a physician (via the Royal Australasian College of Physicians - www.racp.edu.au) or a radiologist (via the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists - www.ranzcr.com) . Further specialisation in nuclear medicine takes an additional 2 to 3 years after Basic Specialist Training, in a nuclear medicine department in the country.

Nuclear Medicine Physicist A nuclear medicine physicist usually has a science degree with a major in physics. Sometimes other disciplines, such as electrical engineering or mathematics are acceptable. Most nuclear medicine physicists have a higher degree - either a Masters’ degree (MSc, MMedPhys) or a PhD by Research. Today, physicists can enter into a “on the job” training programme for three years, in which time further study towards the higher degree can be undertaken. The training allows the individual to register with the Australasian College of Physical Scientists & Engineers in Medicine (www.acpsem.org.au) as a “Qualified Medical Physics Specialist in Nuclear Medicine Physics.”

Radiochemist A radiochemist has to complete an undergraduate degree with a major in chemistry or a 3 year general chemistry degree. To specialise in nuclear medicine, a chemist needs to perform further “on the job” training in a Nuclear Medicine Department for approximately 2-3 months.

Radiopharmacist A radiopharmacist has completed an undergraduate degree in pharmacy. A science degree with a major in chemistry or a related field is also a possible option. Individuals then complete specialist “on the job” training in a Nuclear Medicine Department. Postgraduate and Master degrees are available for further education.

Nuclear Medicine Nurse A nuclear medicine nurse is a registered nurse who has completed a degree in nursing. To specialise in nuclear medicine, nurses need to train “on the job in a Nuclear Medicine Department.”

For further information about careers in nuclear medicine please visit the Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine at www.anzsnm.org.au, or email the Secretariat at secretariat@anzsnm.org.au

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GET IN TOUCH AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND SOCIETY OF NUCLEAR MEDICINE PO Box 6178, Vermont South, Victoria 3133, Australia + 61 1300 330 402 secretariat@anzsnm.org.au www.anzsnm.org.au