What does a radiation therapist do?
A radiation therapist is a medical professional who works in hospitals or cancer treatment centers and treats cancer and other diseases in patients by giving radiation treatments. Radiation therapists are required to explain the treatment plans to patients as well as conduct x-ray tests on patients to determine the exact location of the area that requires treatment. They must examine radiation machines to ensure that they are safe and working properly. Radiation therapists must also follow safety procedures to protect patients and themselves from overexposure.
Radiation therapist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real radiation therapist resumes:
- Manage all payroll, accounts receivable and payable, and maintain complete records of equipment and staff.
- Manage daily clinical staffing needs by appropriately deploying PRN therapist when need, which save company from employing an additional FTE.
- Perform SBRT and SRS, and IMRT treatments under the supervision of the physician.
- Set up patients on treatment machine, port films and IGRT to line up patients.
- Ensure treatment plans are consistent with oncologist's prescriptions and verify EMR for daily treatment delivery.
- Monitor patients records through EMR, maintain weekly and monthly reports for the company, maintain and order supplies.
- Follow clinical protocol and treat all patients with respect, compassion, modesty, privacy and the strictest confidentiality.
- Care for patients with compassion, discussing treatment plans, answering questions, and teaching them how to managepotential side effects.
- Assist other health-care personnel during dosimetry procedures and tumor localization.
- Execute daily operations of linear accelerators including daily warm-up and daily/weekly QA.
- Full participatory Varian GammaMedplus iX HDR for breast and cervical treatment applications.
- Deliver prescribed dose of radiation therapy by applying problem-solving/critical-thinking skills in the administration of treatment protocols, tumor localization and dosimetry.
- Experience with Varian trubeam and aria.
- Utilize IGRT to verify treatment field placement.
- Used IMPAC record and verify system on both machines.
Radiation therapist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 28% of Radiation Therapists are proficient in Patients, Patient Care, and Radiation Oncologist. They’re also known for soft skills such as Detail oriented, Interpersonal skills, and Physical stamina.
We break down the percentage of Radiation Therapists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 28%
Positioned and stabilized patients in preparation for treatment and emphasized to patients the importance of maintaining the assumed position during treatment.
- Patient Care, 9%
Participated in departmental Quality and performance improvement programs that resulted in developing better solutions to improve patient care and services.
- Radiation Oncologist, 8%
Perform safety checks of calculations and administer accurate doses of radiation therapy according to the radiation oncologist prescription with little supervision.
- Patient Treatment, 6%
Provided documentation of patient treatments using record and verification system.
- Dosimetry, 4%
Performed dosimetry for two outpatient facilities and Georgetown University Hospital.
- Treatment Planning, 4%
Perform CT/Simulation for localizing treatment planning, making immobilization devices, establish treatment positioning, and location of markings.
Common skills that a radiation therapist uses to do their job include "patients," "patient care," and "radiation oncologist." You can find details on the most important radiation therapist responsibilities below.
Detail oriented. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a radiation therapist to have is detail oriented. Their role and responsibilities require that "radiation therapists must follow precise instructions and input exact measurements to make sure the patient is exposed to the correct amount of radiation." Radiation therapists often use detail oriented in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "provide excellent patient care by attention to detail. "
Interpersonal skills. Many radiation therapist duties rely on interpersonal skills. "radiation therapists work closely with patients over multiple weeks and must be able to explain the treatment," so a radiation therapist will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways radiation therapist responsibilities rely on interpersonal skills: "possess excellent interpersonal skills that allow for the building of strong trusting relationships with patients, families and team members. "
Technical skills. A big part of what radiation therapists do relies on "technical skills." You can see how essential it is to radiation therapist responsibilities because "radiation therapists work with computers and large pieces of technological equipment, so they must be comfortable operating those devices." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical radiation therapist tasks: "educate patients regarding technical aspects of treatments and also provide information regarding management of side effects associated with treatments. "
The three companies that hire the most radiation therapists are:
- RWJBarnabas Health36 radiation therapists jobs
- US Oncology Holdings Inc25 radiation therapists jobs
- UNC Health Care19 radiation therapists jobs
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Compare different radiation therapists
Radiation therapist vs. X-ray technician
The job of X-ray technicians, or X-ray technologists, is to detect medical issues that may need urgent medical treatment using cutting-edge imaging methods. The pictures they generate aid physicians in diagnosing and treating injuries and illnesses with better accuracy. They use a wide range of imaging technologies such as the traditional X-ray machines, computerized axial tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging. X-ray technicians may also perform some office work that includes preparing work schedules, managing radiologic departments, and setting up physicians' stations.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between radiation therapists and x-ray technician. For instance, radiation therapist responsibilities require skills such as "patient care," "radiation oncologist," "patient treatment," and "dosimetry." Whereas a x-ray technician is skilled in "arrt," "radiologic technologist," "cpr," and "customer service." This is part of what separates the two careers.
X-ray technicians tend to reach similar levels of education than radiation therapists. In fact, x-ray technicians are 0.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Radiation therapist vs. Mammography technician
A mammography technician is primarily in charge of operating an imaging machine to detect and diagnose breast diseases. Their responsibilities include greeting patients, reviewing their identification and request documentation, explaining the extent of procedures, answering inquiries, operating machines, performing adjustments, and conducting the study in adherence to the protocols, making sure the patients feel comfortable every step of the way. Furthermore, as a mammography technician, it is essential to practice every safety technique during the procedures, all while enforcing the facility's policies and regulations.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that radiation therapist responsibilities requires skills like "radiation oncologist," "patient treatment," "dosimetry," and "treatment planning." But a mammography technician might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "arrt," "mammography technologist," "customer service," and "pacs."
In general, mammography technicians achieve similar levels of education than radiation therapists. They're 1.2% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Radiation therapist vs. Dosimetrist
A dosimetrist is a medical professional who assists patients undergoing radiation therapy. You are responsible for determining the proper radiation dosage being used in treating patients with cancer. Your duties include explaining the procedure to patients and responding to their questions and concerns, working closely with physicians to determine the amount and duration of radiation therapy, and assisting in the simulations and tumor localization using various imaging devices such as MRI, CT, and PET.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a radiation therapist is likely to be skilled in "radiation oncologist," "dosimetry," "treatment planning," and "immobilization devices," while a typical dosimetrist is skilled in "radiation therapy," "radiation dose," "eclipse," and "aria."
Most dosimetrists achieve a higher degree level compared to radiation therapists. For example, they're 5.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.6% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Radiation therapist vs. Medical dosimetrist
A medical dosimetrist is a health professional who plans radiation treatment for oncology patients. They with other members of the oncology team to oversee treatment implementation, offer support with radiation equipment, design radiation treatment for oncology patients, perform calculations to determine effective dosing, and create a treatment plan that will be reviewed by a physician. They are also sometimes required to teach at universities and participate in research laboratories.
Types of radiation therapist
Updated January 8, 2025
