MRI operator training requires a medical background.
Since the advent of computer-based health-information management tools, medical specialists have improved the lives of patients and made substantial progress toward identifying disease causes. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) helps physicians visualize the structure and function of the body. Training helps MRI operators improve their earning power, which averaged $43,000 per year as of 2010, according to Indeed.com.
Educational Requirements
Health care institutions require that MRI operators possess, at a minimum, a certificate in radiology, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. An associate's or bachelor's degree in radiography is also a good pathway to becoming an MRI operator. Licensing carries professional prestige in the occupation, and training providers as well as employers welcome licensed applicants, especially those holding a certificate from the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists.
Target Audience
Academic requirements for MRI operator positions do not translate into eligibility criteria for training sessions. In other words, individuals with no direct connection to MRI operation or without medical expertise may attend a training session. Medical personnel who find training advantageous include radiologic technologists, X-ray technicians, and MRI technologists, according to O*NET OnLine, the occupational research segment at the U.S. Department of Labor. Other potential attendees include computed tomography technologists, mammography technicians, radiology technologists, radiographers, and computed tomography radiologic technologists.
Features
During training, MRI operators learn to use radiation safety measures, position and immobilize patients on examination tables, take accurate patient medical histories, and monitor anesthesia procedures, according to Oregon Health & Science University. After completing an MRI technician seminar, participants know remove and process films, operate and oversee radiologic and magnetic imaging equipment, explain procedures to patients, and ensure the safety and comfort of patients during scans.
Skill Set
O*NET OnLine notes that MRI operators train to polish skills and acumen necessary to prevent accidents during scans and to ensure the comfort of patients. Trainees learn to improve their communication skills, which are important to comfort and reassure patients before, during, and after procedures. Well-trained MRI operators have a knack for identifying and solving complex problems; they possess active-listening skills and are detail-oriented. In addition, operators generally have an analytical penchant and time-management capacity.
Tools and Equipment
Tools and equipment that MRI operators use during operations are important topics in training classes. Trainees learn about intramuscular needles, general-use medical radiological positioning aids, medical syringes without needles, and medical X-ray darkroom equipment or supplies. In addition, attendees polish their acumen with database user interface and query software, digital transmission densitometers, X-ray image intensifier television systems, picture archiving and communication systems, self-contained film processors and digital imaging communications in medicine software, or DICOM.
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