Radiation Therapists
Provide radiation therapy to patients as prescribed by a radiation oncologist 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.
Sample of reported job titles:
Computed Tomography Simulation Therapist (CT Simulation Therapist), Dosimetrist, Medical Dosimetrist, Radiation Therapist (RT), Radiation Therapy Technologist (RTT), Registered Radiation Therapist, Staff Radiation Therapist
Occupation-Specific Information
Tasks
- Administer prescribed doses of radiation to specific body parts, using radiation therapy equipment according to established practices and standards.
- Position patients for treatment with accuracy, according to prescription.
- Enter data into computer and set controls to operate or adjust equipment or regulate dosage.
- Follow principles of radiation protection for patient, self, and others.
- Maintain records, reports, or files as required, including such information as radiation dosages, equipment settings, or patients' reactions.
Technology Skills
- Development environment software:Eclipse IDE
- Graphics or photo imaging software:Image processing software
- Internet browser software:Web browser software
- Medical software:Beam analysis software,Dose unit calculation software,Electronic medical record EMR software,Lifeline Software RadCalc,Nucletron planning systems,Procedure scheduling software,Radiation dose calculation software,Radiation therapy equipment software,Sun Nuclear MapCHECK,Treatment planning software,Virtual simulation software
- Office suite software:Microsoft Office
Occupational Requirements
Work Activities
- Assisting and Caring for Others:Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
- Controlling Machines and Processes:Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials:Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
- Documenting/Recording Information:Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events:Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Detailed Work Activities
- Adjust settings or positions of medical equipment.
- Administer cancer treatments.
- Assist healthcare practitioners during examinations or treatments.
- Calculate numerical data for medical activities.
- Develop medical treatment plans.
Work Context
- Contact With Others:98% responded"Constant contact with others"
- Physical Proximity:92% responded"Very close (near touching)"
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate:90% responded"Extremely important"
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled:89% responded"Every day"
- Exposed to Disease or Infections:87% responded"Every day"
Worker Requirements
Skills
- Active Listening:Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Reading Comprehension:Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Critical Thinking:Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Operations Monitoring:Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Social Perceptiveness:Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Knowledge
- 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.
- English Language:Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- 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.
- Physics:Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
- Mathematics:Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Education
How much education does a new hire need to perform a job in this occupation? Respondents said:
- 50%Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
- 38%Bachelor's Degree
- 9%Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)
Worker Characteristics
Abilities
- Oral Comprehension:The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Oral Expression:The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- 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 that there is a problem.
- Written Comprehension:The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- 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).
Interests
- Social:Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
- Realistic:Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
- Conventional:Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Work Values
- Relationships:Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
- Support:Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
- Achievement:Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Work Styles
- Attention to Detail:Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
- Concern for Others:Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
- Dependability:Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
- Cooperation:Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
- Integrity:Job requires being honest and ethical.
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