Mar 29, 2024  
2018-2019 GCC Catalog 
    
2018-2019 GCC Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Diagnostic Imaging and Therapy: Nuclear Medicine Technology, AS


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Information about the Diagnostic Imaging and Therapy Programs  

The Associate in Science degree and certificate programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology prepare students for employment as nuclear medicine technologists in hospitals, medical offices, or ambulatory clinics. Upon completion of the program, the student may apply to take the certifying board examinations administered by the American Registry of Radiologic Technology (Nuclear Medicine) and the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board (NMTCB). The program requires approximately twenty-two (22) months of clinical and academic course work. The curriculum includes appropriate didactic content and ample supervised clinical education to assure sufficient opportunity to achieve all didactic and clinical requirements. Students are assigned to a clinical practicum at Yale-New Haven Hospital, Yale New Haven Hospital St. Raphael Campus, the Veterans Affairs Connecticut Health Care System (West Haven), Middlesex Hospital (Middletown), Griffin Hospital (Derby), Cardinal Health Nuclear Pharmacy Services (East Hartford), Midstate Medical Center (Meriden), Waterbury Hospital, Milford Hospital, William W. Backus Hospital (Norwich), Lawrence & Memorial Hospital (New London), Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center (Hartford), and UCONN Medical Center (Farmington). Simulated labs are held in the Nuclear Medicine lab at the Gateway campus and are scheduled on lecture days. Students
are required to attend all orientation sessions scheduled in the summer in order to begin the program in the fall semester. For more information, call the Enrollment Services Assistant, Mary Beth Banks at (203) 285-2388 or e-mail at (MBanks@ gatewayct.edu) or the Program Coordinator, AnnMarie Jones at (203) 285-2381 or e-mail at ajones@gatewayct.edu). Please see the Radiologic Technology Programs webpage for more information about the admissions process.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Gateway Community College Nuclear Medicine Technology program is to achieve and exceed established educational and healthcare standards by continually providing students and the professional community with educational opportunities that reflect the current practice of nuclear medicine technology and results in high quality patient care.

Program Outcomes

Upon successful completion of all program requirements, graduates will:

  • Be eligible to take the Nuclear Medicine Technology Exams offered by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT-N) and/or the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board
  • Possess the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of an entry-level staff technologist.

The major categories of the nuclear medicine technologist’s scope of practice include, but are not limited to, the following areas (as defined in the “Scope of Practice for the Nuclear Medicine Technologist 2012”, SNMMI Technologist Section: www.snmmi.org):

Patient Care: Requires the exercise of judgment to assess and respond to the patient’s needs prior to, during, and after procedures in the nuclear medicine department, and in patient medication reconciliation. This includes record-keeping in accordance with the HIPAA.

Quality Control: Requires the evaluation and maintenance of a quality control program for all instrumentation to ensure its proper performance and stability.

Diagnostic Procedures: Requires the utilization of appropriate techniques, and administration of non-radiopharmaceutical agents when part of standard procedures, to ensure quality diagnostic images and/or laboratory results.

Radiopharmaceuticals: Involves the procurement, preparation, quality control, dispensing, dose calculation, identification, documentation, administration, disposal, storage, and safe handling of radioactive materials.

Adjunctive Medications: Involves the identification, preparation, calculation, documentation, administration and monitoring of adjunctive medication(s) used during an in-vitro, diagnostic imaging, or therapeutic procedure. Also included are the preparation and administration of oral and IV contrast used in the performance of imaging studies.

In-Vitro Diagnostic Testing: Involves the acquisition of biological specimens with or without oral, intramuscular, intravenous, inhaled or other administration or radiopharmeceuticals and adjunctive medications for the assessment of physiologic function.

Operation of Instrumentation: Involves the operation of imaging instrumentation: Gamma camera and PET imaging systems with or without sealed sources or radioactive materials or x-ray tubes for attenuation correction, transmission imaging, diagnostic CT (when appropriately educated, trained and/or credentialed); PET imaging systems with or without sealed sources of radioactive materials or x-ray tubes for attenuation correction, transmission imaging, diagnostic CT or MR imaging (when appropriately trained and/or credentialed); Bone density imaging systems with x-ray tubes; and Non-imaging instrumentation.

Transmission Imaging: Involves, but is not limited to, the operation of gamma cameras with sealed sources of radioactive material for transmission imaging with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) or positron emission tomography (PET) and operation of cameras with x-ray tubes for transmission imaging when performed as part of SPECT/CT or PET/CT. Additionally includes diagnostic CT when performed on SPECT/CT or PET/CT cameras, including the administration of oral and intravenous contrast (requires education in CT) and the operation of scanners with x-ray tubes for the measurement of bone density.

Radionuclide Therapy: Involves patient management, preparation and administration of therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals, under the personal supervision of the Authorized User.

Radiation Safety: Involves, but is not limited to, educating the public while practicing techniques that will minimize radiation exposure to the patient, general public, and health care personnel, through consistent use of protective devices, shields, monitors, and other devices consistent with ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable), as well as decontaminating spills and unplanned releases of radiation.”

Suggested Course Sequence


Freshman Year - (NOTE: Required orientation sessions will be scheduled during the summer before entry into the program.)
First Semester - (Practicum at affiliates Tuesday and Thursday)

Program Requirements


Total Semester Credits: 17


Winter Intersession


(Practicum at affiliates Monday through Friday, 40 hrs./week)

Total Semester Credits: .5


Total Semester Credits: 14


Summer Session


(Practicum at affiliates Monday through Friday, May through August)
(40 hrs./week at clinical affiliates)

Total Semester Credits: 3


Third Semester


(Practicum at affiliates Monday, Wednesday, and Friday)

Total Semester Credits: 14


Winter Intersession


(Practicum at affiliates Monday through Friday 40 hrs./week)

Total Semester Credits: .5


Total Semester Credits: 11


Total Program Credits: 60


Total Clinical Practicum at the affiliates, (includes Clinical Internships I, II and III), is approximately 1,800 hours

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