Radiation Safety Officer- Nuclear Medicine Unit at Cookeville Regional Medical Center – Cookeville, Tennessee

The Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) has the authority, duties and responsibilities to ensure radiological safety and compliance with State of Tennessee Division of Radiological Health, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and Department of Transportation regulations and conditions specified in the facilities Radioactive Material License. Additional responsibilities include monitoring the safe use of any and all forms of ionizing radiation for the facility.

The RSO must have sufficient authority to:
• Implement the written Radiation Protection Program
• Identify radiation safety issues
• Initiate, recommend, or provide corrective actions, if warranted
• Terminate unsafe operations with backing of administration
• Verify implementation of corrective actions
• Must be allocated sufficient time and institutional support to perform duties

The RSO has the responsibility to:
• Implement and oversee all operational aspects of the Radiation Protection Program
• Ensure that radiological activities are being performed in a safe manner and in accordance with RAM license directives, modality approved procedures, and regulatory requirements.
• Help identify, investigate, and correct radiation safety issues
• Respond to any radiation safety reports to the RSO
• Initiate, recommend, or provide corrective action for identified safety issues
• Verify implementation of corrective action
• Stop operations identified as unsafe
• Notify management and Radiation Safety Committee of radiation safety issues, unsafe operations, and corrective actions
• Serve as chair of the Radiation Safety Committee and schedule meetings.
• Serve as a liaison between Radiation Safety Committee and users of ionizing radiation
• Serve as a liaison between licensee and regulatory agencies
• Be available for contact by facility staff per regulations and license conditions
• Ensure that sealed-source leak tests and inventory of sealed sources are performed in accordance with specifications in the RAM License
• Maintain the Radioactive Material License (RAM) including timely renewals, amendments, and adding authorized users to the license
• Provide departmental specific education in the safe use of ionizing radiation
• Coordinate with Education Department to ensure employees have initial and annual training in radiation safety through Healthstream program
• Educate “Declared pregnant works” at time of declaration of pregnancy
• If RSO permanently discontinues performance of duties, he/she shall notify licensee and regulatory agency in writing 30 days before ending duties

Other duties as assigned.

Education: Radiation Safety Officer must have a BS Degree or higher in medical physics or health physics or a related scientific discipline. Certified and licensed in Nuclear Medicine or related medical field involving use of ionizing radiation. Ability to be approved by the State of Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Division of Radiological Health as a Radiation Safety Officer on the facility’s radioactive Material License. BLS required.

Experience: 3+ years’ experience as an RSO, Associate/ Assistant RSO, diagnostic imaging physicist, medical physicist, health physicist, nuclear medicine technologist, or a similar role in a clinical setting using radioactive materials and radiation producing equipment