RADIATION THERAPIST

Job Definition:

Job Description:

• Provide radiation therapy to patients as prescribed by a radiologist according to established practices and standards. Duties may include reviewing prescription and diagnosis; acting as liaison with physician and supportive care personnel; preparing equipment, such as immobilization, treatment, and protection devices; and maintaining records, reports, and files. May assist in dosimetry procedures and tumor localization.

Duties and Tasks:

• 1) Administer prescribed doses of radiation to specific body parts, using radiation therapy equipment according to established practices and standards.
• 2) Position patients for treatment with accuracy according to prescription.
• 3) Enter data into computer and set controls to operate and adjust equipment and regulate dosage.
• 4) Follow principles of radiation protection for patient, self, and others.
• 5) Maintain records, reports and files as required, including such information as radiation dosages, equipment settings and patients’ reactions.
• 6) Review prescription, diagnosis, patient chart, and identification.
• 7) Conduct most treatment sessions independently, in accordance with the long-term treatment plan and under the general direction of the patient’s physician.
• 8) Check radiation therapy equipment to ensure proper operation.
• 9) Observe and reassure patients during treatment and report unusual reactions to physician or turn equipment off if unexpected adverse reactions occur.
• 10) Check for side effects such as skin irritation, nausea and hair loss to assess patients’ reaction to treatment.
• 11) Educate, prepare and reassure patients and their families by answering questions, providing physical assistance, and reinforcing physicians’ advice regarding treatment reactions and post-treatment care.
• 12) Calculate actual treatment dosages delivered during each session.
• 13) Prepare and construct equipment, such as immobilization, treatment, and protection devices.
• 14) Photograph treated area of patient and process film.
• 15) Help physicians, radiation oncologists and clinical physicists to prepare physical and technical aspects of radiation treatment plans, using information about patient condition and anatomy.
• 16) Train and supervise student or subordinate radiotherapy technologists.
• 17) Act as liaison with physicist and supportive care personnel.
• 18) Provide assistance to other health-care personnel during dosimetry procedures and tumor localization.
• 19) Implement appropriate follow-up care plans.
• 20) Store, sterilize, or prepare the special applicators containing the radioactive substance implanted by the physician.
• 21) Assist in the preparation of sealed radioactive materials, such as cobalt, radium, cesium and isotopes, for use in radiation treatments.

Activities:

• 1) Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• 2) Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
• 3) Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• 4) Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• 5) Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
• 6) Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• 7) Assisting and Caring for Others — Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• 8) Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material — Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
• 9) Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• 10) Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• 11) Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• 12) Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• 13) Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information — Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
• 14) Performing for or Working Directly with the Public — Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
• 15) Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• 16) Controlling Machines and Processes — Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
• 17) Training and Teaching Others — Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
• 18) Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People — Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
• 19) Coaching and Developing Others — Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
• 20) Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• 21) Performing General Physical Activities — Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
• 22) Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
• 23) Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates — Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
• 24) Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
• 25) Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others — Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
• 26) Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• 27) Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others — Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
• 28) Scheduling Work and Activities — Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
• 29) Communicating with Persons Outside Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
• 30) Handling and Moving Objects — Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• 31) Developing and Building Teams — Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
• 32) Developing Objectives and Strategies — Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
• 33) Provide Consultation and Advice to Others — Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
• 34) Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment — Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.

Abilities:

• 1) Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• 2) Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• 3) Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• 4) Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• 5) Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• 6) Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• 7) Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• 8) Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• 9) Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
• 10) Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• 11) Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
• 12) Mathematical Reasoning — The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
• 13) Number Facility — The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
• 14) Perceptual Speed — The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
• 15) Selective Attention — The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
• 16) Control Precision — The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
• 17) Time Sharing — The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
• 18) Arm-Hand Steadiness — The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
• 19) Category Flexibility — The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.

Knowledge

• 1) Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• 2) Medicine and Dentistry — Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• 3) Mathematics — Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• 4) English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• 5) Psychology — Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.