Radiation Safety Certification--A Review.

It has become common for nuclear medicine technologists to assume the responsibilities, or even the role, of the radiation safety officer (RSO) or associate radiation safety officer (ARSO). Their responsibilities are primarily related to the radioactive materials license, but increasingly can include additional safety responsibilities within the hospital. This includes Computed Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Fluoroscopy safety. Many technologists reading this article may be interested in sitting for the Radiation Safety advanced certification exam by the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board (NMTCB). A consultation of the content outline for that exam (found on the NMTCB website) is a good place to start . The content outline is quite extensive and cannot be covered within a single article. The purpose of this article is to provide a brief summary of some of the knowledge technologists need to assume the role of an RSO or ARSO.