What is an RA's role

Two of the most frequently asked questions I get as an RA is “What do you do” and “What can you do?”.  

Both are great questions to get asked but there is no one answer that can be given.  As an RA, your day is going to be a made-up of who you’re working with, what tasks are being delegated to you, what are you credentialed to do, what does state law say you can do, and what are you confident in doing.

Every RA is going to give you a similar response, but the truth is, our roles can be different and dependent on who/where we are working.  So let’s take a generic look at the role to break down understanding “what a life in the day of an RA” looks like.

Many of us perform several clinical based work duties, such as:
• Performing history and physicals.
• Pre/post procedure notes/workup.
• Obtaining written/verbal consent.
• Evaluating labs, following patients’ chart, rounding on patients.
• Patient/family education.
• Assisting with discharge and education for OP interventional studies.
• Tumor board preparation/meetings
• Image review pre/procedure
• Case review work-up (including labs, image review, patient history, etc.)
• Contraindications to exams
• Order verification/clarification
• Establishing new protocols and guidelines
• Assisting with departmental flow and urgency of daily cases.
• IVC filter tracking
• Patient follow-up
• Drain management

Some of the procedures that get delegated to us would include:
• GI/GU procedures (barium esophagram, BE, VCUG etc.)
• HSG studies
• LP/Myelogram/Intrathecal chemotherapy
• Joint aspirations/injections
• Thyroid/neck FNA biopsies
• G-tube check/exchange/removal
• Drainage catheter check/exchange/removal
• Nephrostomy tube check/exchange/removal
• Para/Thora
• CT/US guided superficial mass biopsy
• Bone marrow biopsy
• CT/US guided superficial fluid aspiration/drainage catheter placement.
• Mediport evaluation
• Mediport placement/removal
• Venous catheter (non-tunneled/tunneled) placement/exchange/removal
• First Assist in more invasive procedures

The RA always works under the physician’s supervision and in a physician-led care team.  An RA tends to be more accessible to the staff and can quickly manage the flow of the department, decreasing the physician’s decision fatigue and streamlining everyone’s process.  We can offer continuity of care and our patients, staff, and physicians enjoy having us as part of their processes.

Wow this is a fantastic description of the job. I hope people will take the chance to look at it. I really appreciate it. Alot of great information from the heart!

I talked to some people on another topic about RAs. I'm interested in maybe doing that one day! 

How was the schooling to become an RA? How long did it take you? Do you know if there are any programs in Virginia for it?

Thank you for sharing this information! 

In your experience is an RA a pretty hospital exclusive role? Or have you seen them utilized in outpatient settings?

EmmyEm wrote:

I talked to some people on another topic about RAs. I'm interested in maybe doing that one day! 

How was the schooling to become an RA? How long did it take you? Do you know if there are any programs in Virginia for it?

The Program is roughly 24 months (2 yrs); currently there are 6 universities that offer the RA education.

1) Midwestern State University, Texas
2) Loma Linda University, California
3) Rutgers University, New Jersey
4) Quinnipiac University, Connecticut
5) Weber State University, Utah
6) North Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Best advice I can offer is that if you are considering this as a future opportunity, start having the conversations now with the radiologist you are wishing to have a clinical preceptorship with. Get them warmed up to the idea and help them gain knowledge in what the RA is (many don't know or are misinformed on the profession). Get into the procedure rooms and try to be more hands on and asking questions. This alone will get you ahead for when you decide you want to apply.

Always happy to help wherever I can.

Marcelene

bstearns wrote:

Thank you for sharing this information! 

In your experience is an RA a pretty hospital exclusive role? Or have you seen them utilized in outpatient settings?

I have seen more working in the hospital/facility setting, however there are many that do work in outpatient centers, clinics, and in OBL standalone centers. Really where ever there is a radiologist-led team, the opportunity to have an RA assisting them in the daily operations is there.

Marcelene

Marceline, thank you so much for making our experience on our website great for some of our interested students and technologist. As The VSRT president, really makes me feel good to see people engaged and using our website. Let me know if I can do anything for you.

I am always happy to help! Believe it or not, MANY moons ago I helped the RA's in your state advocate for the recognition (I believe it was in 2010) for the RA licensure and sent letters of support and contacted your legislators. Always happy to help educate on the RA and support all our local, state and national societies and everything you all dedicate to our imaging profession!