This post provides detailed information on the interventional radiology nurse career, including how to become one, the various job opportunities you can explore, and the benefits of being an interventional radiology nurse.
How to Become an Interventional Radiology Nurse
To become an interventional radiology nurse, you can follow these steps:
- Get your Bachelor’s degree
Earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing is the first step toward becoming an interventional radiology nurse.
Taking this step is one way to ensure you will have a job once you pass your NCLEX exam.
2. Train to be a Registered Nurse (RN)
To become a Registered Nurse, you must first pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) (RN).
Passing the NCLEX exam is the only way to ensure that you will be able to work anywhere as an RN.
3. Acquire relevant experience
You can then obtain valuable work experience in critical care or radiology laboratory facilities.
It is important to gain experience that can help prepare you for a future career in interventional radiology.
4. Earn a Master’s degree
While certain radiology nurse positions are open to registered nurses, the majority of interventional radiology nurses are Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs).
A Master of Science degree in Nursing (MSN) as a nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist is required to become an APRN.
5. Complete any further radiology courses that is required
If you did not finish interventional radiology coursework and clinical rotations as part of your MSN program, you can complete them through a post-certificate Master’s program.
Completing a post-certificate program can shorten the amount of time that it takes to become an interventional radiologist nurse.
Interventional Radiology Nurse Career Opportunities
As an interventional radiology nurse, you have the skills and training to advance your career into one or more specialties/roles such as:
- Cholecystectomies
This specialty involves surgeries performed on the gallbladder. It is used to remove gallstones.
The gallbladder may also be removed if it becomes inflamed or severely injured.
As an interventional radiology nurse, you will help to perform many of the surgery’s procedures.
2. Heart surgeries
As an interventional radiology nurse, you will help to perform heart surgeries through catheters inserted into arteries and veins.
An example is coronary artery bypass grafting with a heart catheterization.
Once the catheter is inserted it will reach the coronary arteries that supply blood to your heart.
The catheter will clear blockages in your blood vessels by removing plaque buildup.
3. Hiatal hernia repairs
As an interventional radiology nurse, you will assist in performing hiatal hernia repairs.
A hiatal hernia is when the upper part of the stomach comes through the diaphragm and into the chest.
As an interventional radiology nurse, you will perform surgeries that repair this condition.
4. Kidney surgeries
This specialty involves procedures for removing blockages in one or both kidneys or removing diseased or malignant kidney tumors.
As an interventional radiology nurse, you will help with kidney surgeries in the operating room.
5. Spinal surgeries
As an interventional radiologist nurse, you will help to perform spinal surgeries by using fluoroscopes and fiber optics.
Examples of a spinal surgery are spinal fusions.
This specialty involves procedures used to treat difficult or recurrent back problems and stabilize back injuries.
These procedures often involve removing bone between vertebrae of the spine, known as a fusion (or in more technical terms, laminectomy).
More Interventional Radiology Nurse Career Opportunities
6. Splenectomies
This specialty involves surgeries to remove the spleen. It is used to treat autoimmune problems such as autoimmune hepatitis.
As an interventional radiologist nurse, you will help perform splenectomiies in the operating room.
7. Adrenalectomies
This specialty involves procedures to remove the adrenal glands located under the kidneys.
These procedures are used to treat Addison’s disease, a condition in which the adrenal glands do not produce enough hormones (adrenal insufficiency).
As an interventional radiologist nurse, you will help perform adrenalectomies in the operating room.
8. Brain surgeries
As an interventional radiologist nurse, you will help to perform brain surgeries by guiding doctors through the brain with minimally invasive instruments.
Brain surgeries can be minimally invasive because they pass through blood vessels that surround and protect the brain.
This allows some cancer tumors to be removed without having to remove large pieces of tissue.
But these procedures still damage the brain. As an interventional radiologist nurse, you will perform surgeries on the brain.
9. Colectomies
This specialty involves procedures to remove the colon, rectum and nearby lymph nodes in order to eliminate signs of inflammatory bowel disease or divertive patients who are not a good candidate for surgery.
As an interventional radiologist nurse, you will help perform colectomies in the operating room.
10. Gastric sleeve surgeries
This specialty involves procedures to remove the stomach’s pouch of the small intestine.
These procedures are used to treat diabetes and other problems that can arise from high levels of glucose in your blood.
As an interventional radiologist nurse, you will help perform gastric sleeve surgeries in the operating room.
Challenges faced by Interventional Radiology Nurse on the Job
Here are some of the problems that the interventional radiology nurse face on the job:
- The work can be monotonous
This can include a lot of repetition and be very boring. As an interventional radiologist nurse, you will have to do a lot of procedures on patients who are going to other operating rooms in other hospitals.
This can put you in the same room with them for long periods at a time, which can also be boring.
2. Radiation exposure
Since they work in the operating room, interventional radiology nurses work alongside doctors doing major invasive procedures such as heart surgery.
Radiation exposure is possible while working as an interventional radiology nurse.
You can work with radiation in two different ways. The first way is the use of x-ray devices called fluoroscopes.
They emit ionizing radiation that can damage cells in your body including your skin.
The second way is by simply being around the x-ray machines while they are running.
This can harm you if you’re exposed to a large amount of radiation like in cases where multiple people are working at one time or in high risk situations.
3. You may have to stay late
Sometimes, things don’t go exactly how planned. As an interventional radiology nurse, you may have to stay late to complete the procedure.
Because this job can be monotonous and repetitive, it can be hard to remain focused while everything is running smoothly if you’re working alone.
Major Benefits of an Interventional Radiology Nurse Career
Some of the major benefits of an interventional radiologist nurse career include:
- Good Salary
It is obvious that interventional radiology nurse is one of the best paying jobs in the world. Being paid well is always a plus.
2. Autonomy
The interventional radiology nurse career gives you the freedom to do what you please.
You can have control over your own schedule and choose which procedures you will perform.
It also offers you the ability to decide who you are going to work with and how much time you want to spend with them.
3. Flexible Schedule
The best part about this job is that it has an incredibly flexible schedule, meaning you can choose when to work during the week and spend more time with family on the weekends.
4. Specialization
Besides the regular jobs an interventional radiology nurse performs, they can specialize in a specific field.
This can help provide a more fulfilling career that helps increase your earnings.
5. Job Security
You will also have security knowing that this job is not likely to be taken over by robots anytime soon.
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected that the demand for skilled surgical technologists, including interventional radiologist nurses, will increase by 5% between 2018 and 2028.
6. Job Satisfaction
You will have a job that you enjoy and feel proud of. Making a difference in someone’s life can be really satisfying.
Changing outcomes and saving lives is what makes this job so great.
Conclusion
The interventional radiology nurse career will provide a great living for those who are interested in getting into the medical field.
A job as an interventional radiology nurse will allow you to help people and make money at the same time. This job is not going to be one of those jobs that only few individuals will have, so if you are interested in it, then get your degree and apply for a position.