Imaging Nursing: A Hidden Gem

Of the more than 100 nursing specialties in healthcare, radiology is one of the newest and most rapidly evolving. Despite the growing demand for skilled imaging nurses, however, radiology remains a little-known nursing specialty whose many advantages warrant a closer look.

Imaging nurses provide holistic, high-quality care in diagnostic and therapeutic environments in nearly every Cleveland Clinic location across the globe. In Northeast Ohio alone, the health system employs more than 300 of these caregivers in inpatient and outpatient settings.

Radiology nurses – who work with a wide range of imaging modalities like x-rays, fluoroscopy, nuclear medicine, ultrasound, mammography, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) – manage a diverse population of patients, including those undergoing routine diagnostic tests, complex interventional procedures and emergency imaging.

“Radiology nursing is cutting-edge and fast-paced because it’s driven by advances in imaging techniques and technology,” says Beth Welch, DNP, MSN, NE-BC, Director of Imaging Nursing at Cleveland Clinic. “There are so many different facets of imaging. It’s a niche specialty that allows you to work with a variety of modalities, and each one is unique.”

According to Welch, it’s not uncommon for Cleveland Clinic nurses to travel between modalities to ensure continuity of care throughout a patient’s treatment cycle. “Our practice is highly standardized, so our imaging nurses collaborate closely across the enterprise,” she explains. “From workflow to documentation to safety checks, our caregivers understand the procedures and know what to look for.”

Radiology nurses at Cleveland Clinic are cross trained for different patient populations and other clinical areas like recovery and pre-op. “Knowing what patients did before receiving an imaging service and what they’ll need after enhances continuity of practice,” Welch adds.

More than meets the eye

Through their partnerships with radiologists and technologists, imaging nurses contribute specialized knowledge and skills to the healthcare team. They enhance care quality and ensure that imaging procedures are carried out safely and effectively.

“Imaging nurses need solid understanding and confidence in their nursing practice,” Welch shares. “We create workflows, ask questions, raise concerns, and stop the line if needed. Our focus is always on the patient.”

Welch says this intent focus begins before the nurse ever encounters the patient. “We prepare extensively with our radiologist and technologist colleagues as a collaborative team, discussing expectations, course of treatment, care management and more,” she explains. “By the time we meet patients, it feels like we already know them.”

The primary responsibilities of radiology nurses are to educate and prepare patients and families for the imaging they’re about to undergo, manage and monitor patients during procedures, and provide education and care post-procedure. As with any nursing specialty, empathy and compassion fuel their meaningful work.

“It’s important to be conscious of each patient’s mental state and the anxiety they’ve likely had leading up to testing,” Welch shares. “The results of those images really do determine their future. To be able to provide stress relief, compassion and empathy is a gift — and it makes all the difference for the patient and their family.”

Although most diagnostic imaging procedures are brief, some patients require ongoing tests, including those with liver disease and disorders that require tube changes every few weeks. “Many specialty patients within interventional radiology are assigned care coordinators who provide a consistent point of contact throughout the patient’s journey and keep them connected with their interventionalist,” Welch explains.

Cutting-edge technology

One of the biggest draws to imaging nursing is the ongoing advancement of treatments and diagnostic tests, she adds.

“It’s awesome to be part of a field that is changing so rapidly,” says Welch. “Patients used to just come in for an isolated diagnostic test, but now those images are used to help guide therapies that are actually provided in the radiology department.”

One example is a newer neurological treatment for patients with Parkinson’s disease, known as a high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for tremors. Cleveland Clinic is one of only a few organizations in the U.S. to offer it.

“Patients receive treatment in a specialized machine for a few hours with the imaging nurse by their side the entire time, providing clinical care,” says Welch. “After a treatment, some patients gain the ability to write their name or hold a cup of coffee. To share in that moment with a patient is incredible.”

Several Cleveland Clinic imaging nurses recently attended a workshop to learn about a new interventional radiology treatment method for cancer patients.

“In this specialty, you are always learning new things and looking for ways to create treatment pathways,” says Welch. “Innovations emerge every year to help enhance the care of patients in every department or service line. If you want to influence innovative healthcare delivery, imaging nursing is for you.”

Knowledge is power

New clinical findings and evidence-based practices are shared at monthly Affinity Group meetings, which are attended by all Cleveland Clinic Imaging Institute nurses — from Cleveland to Abu Dhabi.

“These meetings are very productive,” says Welch. “We talk through clinical practice, how we are caring for specific patients, changes we should consider, practice standards and more.”

Throughout her 10 years as a radiology nurse, Welch has learned that education is a vital part of the specialty. Cleveland Clinic imaging nurses periodically travel to nursing floors across the health system or attend other departments’ nurse director meetings to share important procedure and post-procedure information on imaging modalities.

“A biopsy, for example, might not seem like a big deal because a patient comes back with a basic bandage on — but that’s a really invasive procedure,” says Welch. “The acuity of that recovery for the next few hours is critical. Nurses caring for those patients should be monitoring airways and looking for specific signs and symptoms to avoid any possible complication.”

Welch says if she could offer advice to any nurses or patient care nursing assistants, it would be to shadow a radiology nurse and learn about the different imaging modalities. “This specialty touches patients in every clinical area,” she says. “Take the time to learn about that part of a patient’s journey. It will be an invaluable experience.”