Drew is a radiological technologist working in the CT department. Drew is sometimes asked to administer contrast agents via a central venous catheter, such as a PICC line.

Is this activity within Drew’s scope of practice?

The ACMDTT has approval for members to perform some/all of the restricted activities, as identified in the Medical Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technologists Profession Regulation (the Regulation). The Regulation states that all regulated radiological technologists are authorized to perform the following restricted activity:

• 17(1)(b) administer diagnostic imaging contrast agents for the purpose of conducting diagnostic scans and imaging of body tissue

What training does Drew have to do in order to perform this activity?

A College-approved program is not required as no authorization is needed; it is, however, expected that Drew will have received appropriate training to perform this activity safely, ethically and competently. As this route of administration may differ from the route of administration that is typically used by a radiological technologist, the College would encourage the employer to provide adequate training on the procedure and expectations of the technologist in these situations.

Drew should ask:

• Do I have the knowledge to perform this competently (i.e., consider clinical procedures, pharmacology, adverse events)?
• Do I have skills to perform this competently (i.e., understanding administration routes and rates, handling medications, identifying and handling adverse events)?
• Do I have the clinical reasoning abilities to perform and maintain this activity competently (i.e., how frequently must this be practiced, how many cases would be required to learn this well and competently)?

What Standards of Practice apply to this scenario?

Standard 1.2 Clinical Procedures

To demonstrate this Standard, a regulated member will:

c. Ensure the patient has been assessed for contraindications to the procedure and respond appropriately (e.g., allergies, medications, conflicting treatments/examinations, medical condition, implants/devices or other items).

e. Possess the necessary competence to perform the procedure safely, effectively and ethically

g. Ensure patient safety (e.g., transfers, physical environment).

i. Assess and monitor the patient during the procedure (e.g., watch for adverse reactions, sudden changes in patient status or condition) and take appropriate action, when required (e.g., provide direct assistance, call for emergency assistance).

Standard 2.2 Professional Competence

To demonstrate this Standard, a regulated member will:

b. Practice within the limits of the member’s competence.

Standard 2.3 Restricted Activities/Enhanced Practice

To demonstrate this Standard, a regulated member will:

a. Perform only those restricted activities for which they have the required competence and current authorization.

c. Be responsible and accountable for safely performing the restricted activity.

d. Understand the risks associated with performing the restricted activity and ensure that measures are in place to manage any critical or unexpected events associated with performing it.

ACMDTT Code of Ethics (2015)

Principle 3 – Responsibility to oneself

b. Accountability – A regulated member takes responsibility and is accountable for their professional activities.

There are many documents that help guide a regulated member’s practice. View these documents on our Resources page.