Profession

The majority of radiographers work within hospitals or similar institutions, known as second-line or inpatient care. In addition, radiographers are seen working within first- and second-line care and are employable in other contexts (MedTech industry, education, policy officer, etc.).

The profession is also characterised by its medical-technical nature, working with sophisticated equipment and handling and supervising a heterogeneous patient population.

The radiographers distinguish themselves as healthcare professionals in the ability to build bridges between people and technology, between imaging and diagnosis, and to be able to advise and innovate applications of technology in healthcare.

In their professional practice, radiographers use devices that emit ionising radiation, radioactive substances, electromagnetic fields and ultrasound. According to the law, the use of ionising radiation is a restricted practice. A restricted practice must be carried out by an expert to prevent unacceptable risks to the patient's health. The radiographer is an expert in the field of radiation and is able to perform the restricted practices responsibly within the framework of the Nuclear Energy Act. In order to minimise radiation risks and electromagnetic field exposures to the patient, himself and the environment, the radiographer constantly applies the justification and “As Low As Reasonable Acceptable (ALARA) principles.

The shift in focus within healthcare from 'care and illness' to 'behaviour and health' reinforces the role of the radiographer in the field of prevention. Technical developments make it possible and realistic to visualise a clinical picture with one examination, using multiple modalities. By using the advantages of different modalities, a diagnosis can be made better and faster.

As combined techniques and hybrid systems go 'across' disciplines, the boundaries are blurring and are referred to as medical imaging. Departments of radiology and nuclear medicine are increasingly integrating to form a medical imaging department. Within a radiotherapy department, medical imaging fulfils an essential role. This requires a broad employability of the MIRT and the ability to function in multidisciplinary teams.

The field of work of the MIRT bachelor can be divided into:

• medical imaging (i.e. radiology department, nuclear medicine department)
• treatment with high-dose ionising radiation (i.e. radiotherapy department)
• employability in other contexts (MedTech industry, education, policy officer, etc.)