Episode 17

MRI Safety 101: Educating patients and healthcare providers on screening forms and procedures

Published on: 24th July, 2023

Episode: MRI Safety

- Introduction
- Incident with a patient who failed to inform medical staff about a bullet in their body
- Importance of informing healthcare providers about potential risks
- Screening forms for patients before MRI appointments
- Role of the ACR in setting safety standards for MRI procedures
- Importance of the ACR's MRI safety manual
- Heating risks when metal objects are present during a scan
- Advising patients to inform medical staff about non-natural metal objects
- Ensuring patient safety by knowing about all foreign objects
- Issues with oxygen tanks at the speaker's previous hospital
- Transition to MRI safe oxygen tanks throughout the hospital
- Oxygen setup in most hospitals and potential safety risks with wheelchair oxygen tanks
- Confusion around filling out forms and understanding CAT scans vs MRI scans
- Importance of safety measures for the well-being of both patients and MRI technologists
- Need for everyone to change before entering a medical facility
- Importance of following safety protocols and benefits for providers and patients
- Challenges with unconscious patients and completing screening forms
- Involving a family member or guardian for written consent or involving two witnesses for verbal consent
- The speaker's positive experience working in pediatrics and the hospital's well-organized MRI safety procedures
- Removal of pain and medication patches, tobacco patches, and glucose monitors before MRI
- Importance of asking patients about these items and educating them about necessary preparations
- Calling patients ahead of time or using an MRI safety officer to ask questions before their MRI appointment
- Importance of patient understanding and proper attire for an MRI session
- Incident with an object flying into the scanner during a medical procedure
- Importance of being careful and following safety protocols to prevent accidents
- Issues with MRI scanners, especially with detachable tables for patient transfer
- Need for stronger and more solidly built MRI safe stretchers for patient transfers
- Emphasis on respiratory care during the transferring process
- Conclusion and final thoughts

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About the Podcast

A Couple of Rad Techs Podcast
Career growth, stories, and motivation for radiology and medical imaging professionals.
Welcome to A Couple of Rad Techs Podcast — the show that proves medical imaging isn’t just a “side hustle” of healthcare. It’s a career, a calling, and a community.

If you’re a radiology technologist, MRI or CT specialist, nuclear medicine tech, student in medical imaging, or a healthcare professional who wants to better understand what happens behind the scanner, you’re in the right place.

Too often, the radiology field gets overlooked or misunderstood. People think technologists just “push buttons” or stand in the shadows of doctors. But anyone who’s been in the profession knows it’s so much more than that. From patient safety and advanced imaging skills to navigating burnout, career pivots, and real human connection — this field requires heart, intelligence, and resilience.

That’s exactly what this podcast is about.

Hosted by Chaundria Singleton, a multi-modality technologist (MRI, CT, X-ray) with over 20 years in the field, former college MRI instructor, and top 5% podcaster, A Couple of Rad Techs gives you the motivation, resources, and perspective you need to thrive in this career and beyond.

Each week you’ll hear:
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So, if you’ve ever felt unseen in your profession, if you’ve ever wondered what’s next in your career, or if you simply want to hear real conversations from people who get it — hit play.

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About your host

Profile picture for Chaundria Singleton RT(R)(MR)(CT)

Chaundria Singleton RT(R)(MR)(CT)

As a Medical Imaging professional for over 20 years, I love sharing how relatable radiology is! I am a registered radiologic technologist with certifications in CT and MRI, a former MRI college instructor, radiology staffing owner and consultant, a children's book author, and a public speaker. This podcast is for the radiology and medical imaging profession!

I talk about career tips, yes, we talk money and salary too! How to become a rad tech, and how do you deal with feeling unseen and undervalued?

Thanks for watching and listening!