The most frequently mentioned comment I hear from Radiology nurses across the nation is, “I am the only Radiology nurse in my department.” As discomforting as this sounds, I am here to let you know “you are never alone”. ARIN, your professional association, has many resources to connect you with other Radiology nurses, so you are never alone. The first resource that is widely recognized is the annual conference. The conference provides time to network and synergize with other Radiology nurse from similar sized institutions worldwide. In addition, to making friends, it offers a platform of educational classes to give cutting edge insight into issue you may be facing or will face in the future. Attending the convention also allows you to keep the education in your ARIN education portfolio for future reference. Be sure to mark March 24-27, 2019 in Austin, Texas on your calendar as your next opportunity to take advantage of this resource.
The second resource that can help to support you is committee work. Through committee work you gain working relationships with other Radiology nurses and contacts from multiple professions. It is these contacts that become important to use if you have an issue you need help with at your home institution. It is many times easier to get insight from another colleagues’ expertise than to reinvent the wheel.
Chapter involvement is another great opportunity for reaching out. Over the years, I have reached out to my chapters members in local hospitals when I had a regional issue I was working on for the radiology department. Much to my surprise, I discovered in many cases they had already dealt with the same problems and had a list of possible solutions for me to consider. For those interested in starting a chapter, the ARIN Director of Membership, Sylvia Miller, can help. She can be contacted by reaching out to the ARIN office.
The final resource is presentations, publishing or ARIN on line education. These platforms allow you to network through reaching out to prepare or participate in the class. The return benefit you receive far outweighs the time and money invested.
As always, any questions on ARIN or reaching out for resources “so you are not alone” can be directed to ARIN Office, Liz.boulter@arinursing.org.
