Diagnostic Radiographer

On a diagnostic radiographer apprenticeship course, you’ll help provide excellent patient care by obtaining images of high diagnostic quality using a range of high-cost and complex imaging equipment.

A diagnostic radiographer provides excellent patient care by taking high-quality diagnostic images using various costly and complex imaging equipment.

This will include x-ray imaging, cross-sectional imaging methods (computed tomography or CT), fluoroscopy, and interventional radiology, as well as assistance with other imaging modalities such as ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), breast imaging, and nuclear medicine.

You will assess, authorise, get permission from, and execute individual radiography examination requests independently with a wide range of patients.

You will evaluate pictures and decide on suitable actions. The work is physically and emotionally demanding and requires direct, potentially intimate patient contact. You’ll be able to work in hospital diagnostic imaging departments and onwards to provide mobile imaging.

You will be expected to contribute to a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week imaging service with variable shift patterns and on-call service. You may be the organisation’s only provider of imaging services occasionally.

What you’ll learn

On a diagnostic radiographer apprenticeship course, you’ll learn to:

• Perform basic patient observations, identify deteriorating patients, and treat them as soon as possible.
• Manage time and resources while prioritising tasks according to clinical needs.
• Develop and maintain professional relationships when working alone, as part of an imaging team, as part of a multidisciplinary team, and as a supervisor.
• Communicate effectively with each patient, their families, and carers, involving them in decision-making when appropriate, as well as the multidisciplinary team, tailoring a style to each person to provide holistic care while considering circumstances and surroundings.
• Collect and record information from various sources, critically analyse it to make a logical, informed conclusion, and communicate choices correctly and on time.
• Evaluate a clinical or professional situation critically and respond appropriately, for example, by voicing concerns as required.
• Use high-quality radiography techniques and make adjustments as needed for clinical reasons. Have the technical skills to operate a range of equipment while maintaining patient comfort, as well as the ability to effectively interact with patients and colleagues to ensure the safe transfer of patients into imaging positions. Use appropriate touch techniques to locate external bone markers.
• Recognise normal and abnormal image appearances and know when to act on them. To identify anomalies, use abnormality warning systems, such as a preliminary clinical evaluation.
• Provide patient care in accordance with the patient’s condition, such as patient personal cleanliness, basic life support, first aid, and basic patient care needs, as well as brief clinical preventative advice interventions when appropriate.
• Respect and protect the privacy and dignity of patients at all times, particularly in emergencies.
• Maintain patient confidentiality and data security in clinical practice, and write concise, factual reports and documentation.
• Effectively decrease total radiation dose, and use radiation protection techniques that are safe and appropriate, such as distraction/immobilisation tactics. Use of radiation dose software. 
• Manipulate exposure settings depending on the patient condition to give the best diagnostic image with the least amount of radiation.
• Supervise, encourage learning, motivate, and explain clinical reasoning to others.
• Analyse, analyse, and act on results using Quality Assurance tools/equipment safely.
• Read and critically analyse research articles, use basic research techniques, and apply research findings.

Entry requirements

You’ll usually need:

• Depending on the employer, but likely A-levels or equivalent qualifications or relevant experience.
• Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this before taking the end-point assessment.

Assessment methods

The End Point Assessment comprises two distinct assessment methods: 

• Demonstration of Professional Practice
• Professional Discussion 

Duration, level, subjects potential salary upon completion

Apprenticeship standard

More information about the Level 6 Diagnostic Radiographer Apprenticeship standard can be found here.

Apprenticeship end point assessment

For more information about the End Point Assessment Process, please read the Institute of Apprenticeships’ information page.