Your First Job - Keys to Success

So you've landed your first job as a new grad... congratulations! In today's job market, this can be extremely difficult to do immediately after the completion of your radiography program, and it might even be a few months before you start working. This may leave you feeling like you have forgotten everything you learned... and then some! Here are a few helpful things that will start you off in the right direction:

Most facilities have some type of orientation program, which will vary widely. Some might have you orienting in several rooms for a predetermined amount of time, while others might have you scheduled as an extra body, and ask you to float to all areas. In either case, use this time wisely! After this time period, you are going to be expected to perform independently as a technologist.

You may be tempted to avoid fluoroscopy, OR, or combative patients... this is the exact opposite of what you should do. Stepping up to perform these exams will familiarize you with the facility's equipment, exam setup and protocol, and even possibly some hospital policies and procedures that you were previously unaware of even if you trained there. You will be learning new things for a while still, and learning is supposed to feel a little uncomfortable until you build some confidence. Remember your first day in your clinical site as a student?

It will take you very little time to realize that there are techs who prefer or avoid certain exams. It's a good idea to become efficient at these - they are typically the more time-consuming exams. OR is another one to familiarize yourself with. You have probably had the least practice with this, and even seasoned techs can become intimidated, and avoid the OR like the plague. If a physician becomes frustrated with how slow you might be moving, just explain that you are new, and ask them to communicate their needs so that you can do a better job for them next time. You will win the respect of the physician, as well as your coworkers when you go into the OR the next time with improved performance.

**as a side note to the above paragraph, techs who avoid certain types of exams are most likely to be flexed out early or laid off first if the hospital is asked to make budget cuts. A manager/supervisor will always prefer to have a team who is versatile and has a positive attitude.

Take some time to learn your hospital's policies, which may be very different from that of your clinical rotations. Good ones to learn are attendance policy, dress code, sick leave, performance expectations and evaluation, timekeeping, and scheduling requirements. You will probably be presented with all of these things up front right at the beginning, and you will be asked for your signature to confirm you have received them... make sure you read the fine print! You will be held accountable to all of these things, and saying "I didn't know" simply won't fly; they have your signature, remember.

Start to learn about JCAHO standards and how they affect your department. JCAHO inspects the hospital periodically to ensure patient safety, among other things, and can induce anxiety when inspection time comes around. There is a lot of information to learn, but it doesn't have to happen all at once. Learn little things every week. Start checking supplies for proper storage and expiration dates. Make sure patient privacy is upheld with paperwork, computer programs, and even while speaking with patients. Learn the safety procedures and locations for safety equipment for your department. This is only the tip of the iceberg, but these things will not typically change. You should know them anyways as part of your job description, so if you learn them quickly, you will not have to panic when inspection time comes around.

Be personal - introduce yourself to staff members all throughout the hospital. The radiology department receives lots of phone calls regarding services rendered. After some time, you will probably have a good phone list of people that you have regular interaction with. Make special note of these people because introducing yourself to them will make every interaction more pleasant for everyone. It will also assist you in knowing who to call for what you need. You will be working more independently now, and there may not be someone around to simply ask... soak up the knowledge like a sponge.

Try to be flexible with scheduling. Most techs who have been in one position for a while have learned how to acquire the schedule that suits them most. Of course, when you first start, you will be asked to work sporadic shift assignments. Take this with a grain of salt because everyone has been there. So many new grads think they will be working Mon-Fri 7am - 3:30pm, and that is just not realistic. Those are the easiest hours to fill, so expect to be pulling hours in variable shifts, holidays, weekends, and possibly call. This is just a normal part of the health care field. Give it some time, and you will gain some seniority with better options for hours down the road.

Finally, continue learning... it is easy to believe that since school is over, you have "arrived" and have nothing left to learn. I honestly learn something new just about every day I work. There is always a different challenge that will require a different way to do the same job. If there's not, then you can always find ways to improve your quality, efficiency, or patient care standards. Nobody's perfect, so there should always be something to strive toward. Losing your initiative is the quickest way to technologist burn-out.