Wrapping up my first week
I can't begin to describe how great this week has been for me. My new part-time job has been closer to full-time for my first week back in the saddle. I worked a half day on Monday and then full days on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. I was really worried about how rusty I might be after being out of the radiology department for over five months, but it's all coming back to me nicely. I have been keeping notes on some specific things where I need a little refresher, and I plan to do some reading and studying a little over the weekend. I haven't really seen much of a variety of exams this week though. It seems like everyone with a cough is getting chest x-rays this week, and I have probably done 20 of those, if not more. I have had a couple Upper GIs, a couple Small Bowels, and I think there is a BE on the schedule for Friday morning.
I finally got fed up with my el-cheap-o lead markers that I have been using throughout clinicals in school. They aren't really that cheap though. They are about $13 per set, which is the same price as the aluminum-backed marker set I just ordered. I got a standard pair and a second pair with copper backing for higher kVp applications.
This marker set was $26.30 from http://www.thomascorp.com (T-Model). Hopefully they will arrive in the next week or 10 days. One of my fellow techs uses these markers, and I did some experiments with them today. His markers without the copper backing held up as well as mine with the copper backing. My markers without the copper backing will simply not hold up on chest or shoulder x-rays unless I place them in the shadow of the anatomy somewhere. Using them during cross-table shots during a BE is just pointless. Hopefully these new markers will take care of business... Remind me to post an update on that... The problem markers are the ones I was told to buy as a student. We were asked to buy two sets so we would have a backup in the event of losing one, which makes sense. What makes sense NOW is to buy the two sets in the photo above since they are the same price as the ones I don't like anymore...
One of the other fun aspects of my job is that I'm working with students. When I was a student, I always told myself that if I got the chance to work with students, I would be helpful to them. I had certain techs who were not helpful to me as a student, and I simply don't want a student to EVER to back to school and complain about me the same way I heard my fellow students (and myself occasionally) complain about techs in the field. One of the students I worked with today was experiencing her very first day of clinical. She has a few fears that I'm going to attempt to relieve while I'm working with her. I'm also going to help her get her required comps for this semester completed... It should be fun :)
