Needle sticks

I am now beginning to feel a lot better with doing complete exams from start to finish including needle sticks! I thought it would take me a while to learn a technique in needle sticks, but I try to do stick every single person that comes in so I can get the practice. One of the techs that I work with told me that if I miss the vein to anchor the vein down hard, pull the needle out a little, then go to the right until you get blood return (I guess it's because I'm right handed). I really don't know how, but it's worked for me.

Monday clinicals

Monday clinicals were very busy, so I got to see and do a lot. Most of the cases were usual head, sinus, chest, abdomen, and pelvis studies, but we had two cases that were soft tissue necks!

This week I had to pick up hours at work and miss out on one day of my clinicals, so now I think I'm behind on my hours. I feel like there is not enough hours in the day!

Hopefully after next week my life will calm down a little so I can dedicate more time towards my education.

Update on MRI and CT clinicals

This past week I got a competency on an MRI C-spine. I am now understanding that a lot of the procedures are set up the same way, but I'm still trying to understand how to revise the protocols that are already in the computer if we have to do any additional views, etc. MRI is still extremely complicated, but I am slowly getting it.

I am still trying to study for my CT boards, so I'm still working on the Toshiba CT scanner on Mondays. The Toshiba scanner computer is not hooked up to the automatic injector so the delay times are not shown on the computer screen. I feel that having this feature challenges me to remember the delay times of each exam. I also feel that since I am working at an outpatient facility, I don't get to see as many exams as I would like. Most of the exams I see are basic chest, abdomen, pelvic, and head CT's with the occasional PE chest, extremity, and soft tissue neck.