"Throttle Up": Staff Shortages In Nuclear Medicine and Radiology and Concepts of Cross-Training During The COVID-19 Pandemic

Author Type(s)

Faculty, Resident/Fellow

Document Type

Abstract

Publication Date

6-1-2022

Journal Title

Journal of Nuclear Medicine

Department

Radiology

Abstract

Introduction: -The COVID-19 Pandemic has taken a significant toll with staffing shortages due to worker illness, quarantines, resignations, refusal to get vaccines, childcare and school closures and burnout.

-While healthcare organizations attempt to develop strategies to deal with these shortages, many organizations are utilizing Cross-Training of staff to help cover areas in need.

-We discuss the development of Cross-Training of nuclear staff to help meet demands when there are shortages of trained staff in the nuclear medicine department.

Methods: During the COVID-19 Pandemic, staffing shortages in nuclear medicine and radiology can significantly impact department operations. Departmental workers suffer from family pressures and overwork, psychological stresses, and burnout. This further leads to low morale, complaints and even failure to receive radiopharmaceuticals due to shortages in the supply chain. Staffing shortages in varioius subdivisions of nuclear medicine can lead to failure to perform examinations due to lack of trained personnel and cancelled appointments, delayed patient care and wasting of radiopharmaceuticals. Cross Training nuclear personnel has become more urgent during the COVID-19 Pandemic with the rapid need to reskill and match workers to new roles and activities.

Results: In the nuclear medicine and radiology departments, new business models must be implemented during the COVID-19 Pandemic to cope with challenges occurring due to shortages of healthcare workers. Departments have to train individuals to deal with disruptions that compromise patient care. General nuclear medicine technologists need to train in other modalities such as PET-CT and nuclear cardiology in cases whenever there is need. The same may be true of physicians who must cross cover various modalities when co-workers are not present. Fostering these new skills may take the form of working side-by-side with the staff, as well as utiizing various digital and in-person approaches.

Conclusions: The COVID-19 Pandemic has caused many issues and disruptions in the nuclear and radiology departments which have direct effects on patient care. With shortages in healthcare workers, various study subdivisions my not have trained technologists to cover specific areas impacting workflow and study performance. Cross-Training technical staff is a strategy to build critical skills within the department, to allow them to fill in spaces crucial to workflow in this rapidly changing environment. We discuss concepts and ways to enhance cross-training of nuclear medicine technicians and staff.

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS