Introduction to Health Care & Careers Chapter 22 Answers to Checkpoint and Review Questions Checkpoints 1. What education and training are needed to become a cardiographic technician? Cardiographic technicians are usually trained on the job. Teaching someone to perform a basic resting EKG takes four to six weeks. There are one-year certification programs for basic EKGs, stress tests, and Holter monitor tests. Other training programs, including training for specialized EKG testing, can take from 18 months to two years. 2. What are the typical work responsibilities of cardiovascular technologists? Cardiovascular technologists perform ultrasound procedures, monitor patients heart rates, review physicians interpretations and patient files, and compare findings to a standard to identify problems. They also schedule appointments, explain test procedures, and care for testing equipment. Other tasks vary widely depending on the technologist s specialty. Cardiology technologists assist physicians in invasive procedures. Cardiac sonographers perform ultrasound studies of the heart. Vascular technologists perform ultrasound scans of the blood vessels. 3. What personal characteristics should a phlebotomist have? Phlebotomists need good interpersonal skills, empathy, skill at calming others, attention to detail, and the ability to be calm and work satisfactorily under pressure. 4. What education and training are needed to become a diagnostic medical sonographer?
There are several routes to becoming a diagnostic medical sonographer. Training programs are available in hospitals, vocational-technical schools, colleges and universities, and the armed forces. Colleges and universities offer two- and fouryear programs leading to an associate s or bachelor s degree. A few one-year programs, typically leading to a certificate, are also available. 5. What are the typical work responsibilities of a radiographer? The radiographer prepares the room before X rays; explains the procedure to the patient; prepares a contrast medium for fluoroscopic X rays; positions the patient and camera; measures the thickness of the area to be X-rayed; and sets the controls to yield images with the appropriate density, detail, and contrast. He or she places the film beneath the area and takes the X rays, observing radiation precautions. After taking the X rays, the radiographer removes the film, develops it, and examines the X rays to determine whether they re satisfactory for diagnosis or need to be retaken. Radiographers also keep patient records and adjust and maintain equipment. 6. What education and training are needed to become a nuclear medicine technologist? People can become nuclear medicine technologists by completing an associate s degree, bachelor s degree, or certificate program in the field. Certificate programs, offered at hospitals, are intended for health care professionals, such as diagnostic medical sonographers or registered nurses, who already hold an associate s or bachelor s degree but want to change fields or specialize. Review Questions
<rq2matching Match the procedure with the occupation that typically performs it or assists in it. _ c 1. Venipuncture a. Cardiographic technician _ d 2. Mammography b. Cardiovascular technologist _ e 3. PET scan _ a 4. Holter monitor test c. Phlebotomist d. Radiographer _ b 5. Balloon angioplasty e. Nuclear medicine technologist Multiple Choice 6. Ultrasound scans of fetuses during pregnancy are performed by. a. radiographers b. phlebotomists c. diagnostic medical sonographers d. cardiographic technicians 7. Which procedure does a cardiographic technician typically perform? a. Echocardiography b. Stress test c. Noninvasive peripheral vascular study d. Electrophysiology testing 8. Which is NOT a job responsibility of nuclear medicine technologists? a. Prepare radiopharmaceuticals b. Perform wipe tests for radiation c. Select and enhance images
d. Deliver radionuclide therapy 9. Which statement about phlebotomists is NOT true? a. Most states require phlebotomists to be licensed. b. Phlebotomists must be able to work with patients of all ages. c. The BLS predicts excellent job opportunities for phlebotomists from 2008 to 2018. d. Some phlebotomists are also laboratory assistants and EKG technicians. 10. Which type of educational program do most radiographers complete? a. On-the-job training b. Certificate c. Two-year associate s degree program d. Four-year bachelor s degree program Completion 11. Nuclear medicine is the use of radioactive materials inside the body to create diagnostic images or to treat cancer and other diseases. 12. The word noninvasive refers to procedures that don t involve entering the body or breaking the skin. 13. Sonography is the use of high-frequency sound waves to construct images of organs and other structures in the body. 14. Venipuncture means drawing blood from a vein. 15. The word vascular refers to the blood vessels.
Short Answer 16. Which of the occupations profiled in this chapter require good people skills? Why? All of the occupations profiled in this chapter require good people skills because people in these occupations work heavily with patients. Patients may be of different ages; injured, ill, or fearful; or facing a difficult diagnosis, so workers need empathy and the ability to reassure patients. 17. In terms of job responsibilities, what is the difference between a cardiographic technician and a cardiovascular technologist? Cardiographic technicians perform basic EKGs and, with additional training, specialized EKGs, stress tests, and Holter monitor tests. Cardiovascular technologists perform ultrasound scans of the heart or blood vessels. They also assist in invasive procedures such as cardiac catheterization. 18. Describe the education or training options for becoming a phlebotomist. To become a phlebotomist, a person needs a high school diploma or equivalent and training in phlebotomy. Some phlebotomists learn their skills on the job, through inhouse training programs at medical facilities, while others complete formal education programs. The program may be a stand-alone program, or it may be combined with training for another profession, such as laboratory assistant or EKG technician training. Many licensed health care professionals are trained to perform phlebotomy along with their other functions. 19. What are some areas in which diagnostic medical sonographers can specialize? Diagnostic medical sonographers can specialize in different systems or parts of the body. These include the heart, blood vessels, female reproductive system
(obstetrics/gynecology), abdomen (the abdominal cavity, including the gallbladder, bile ducts, kidneys, liver, pancreas, spleen, and male reproductive system, as well as parts of the chest), nervous system (neurosonography), or breast. 20. Explain the tasks that a nuclear medicine technologist performs before, during, and after a diagnostic scan. The nuclear medicine technologist gets the camera and computer system ready and prepares the radiopharmaceutical that the patient will receive. The technologist explains the procedure to the patient and administers the radiopharmaceutical by mouth, injection, inhalation, or other means. When it s time to begin a scan, the technologist positions the patient and starts the camera. As the images appear on the computer screen, the technologist looks for lower or higher concentrations of the radioactive material than expected, which can indicate disease. After the imaging is completed, the nuclear medicine technologist selects, processes, and enhances images. He or she does preliminary analysis on the computer, sometimes using spreadsheets, and provides the results, along with images or film and patient information, to the physician.