CLRS 453 – Nuclear Medicine Quality Assurance
Syllabus Spring 2024

Course Description:

Semester course; 2 lecture hours. 2 credits. Prerequisites: CLRS 322 and CLRZ 322 with a minimum grade of C in both. Explores the quality assurance parameters in a nuclear medicine department. Emphasis is given to the performance of tests to assess survey meters, spectrometers, dose calibrators, gamma cameras and SPECT imaging systems. Additionally, quality assurance is discussed in terms of radiopharmaceuticals, radio immunoassay laboratories and patient management.

Textbooks and Reading Assignments

Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT: Technology and Techniques, P. Christian, K. Waterstram-Rich, Elsevier - eighth edition

• Section 2. Pt Care, Management, and Research - Health Care Leadership/Management (pp.181-182) / Quality Measures and Improvement (pp. 185-198) / Informatics (pp. 217-221)
• Section 3. Physics and Instrumentation - Instrumentation: - Gamma Camera (pp. 288-294) / Dose Calibrator QC (pp. 255-256) / Well Counter QC (pp. 295-296) / CT QC (pp. 321-324) / PET QC (pp. 347-350)

NRC web site: Title 10 CFR 19, 20, 35, NUREG - 1556 Volume 9 Revision 2 and the older form of regulations Regulator Guide 10.8

Course Requirements

• Completion of all assignments and any in-class exams
• Completion of all assigned readings
• Completion of management papers
• Completion of Q.A. Manual

This course follows the MCV campus schedule.

Written advanced notification for missing class(es) due to religious holidays must be submitted before January 26, 2024

Exams and Assignment Policy

• There will be no unit exams this semester. Your writing assignments are noted below.
• The Department Chair establishes policies and schedules for the CLRS final exams. The Department Chair must approve any changes regarding scheduling the course final exam. A penalty may be imposed for missing a scheduled final exam.
• This is one of the professional courses in which the lowest passing grade is “C”.

Management Assignments

Personnel Management (1 of 4)
Discuss the different theories of management and how they apply to different clinical environments you have rotated through during the last 2-years. From your analysis evaluate and determine which one you think works best in the health care arena (give examples). Which type of management style would you like to work for?  If you managed a department, what type of style would you have? Why? This paper should be at least 4 pages in length .

Marketing (2 of 4)
You are the Chief Technologist and your administrator has asked you to market your department. Knowing the 4-P and what your target market is, determine how you would "sell" your facility to the public. Your NMT facility can be a cardiology center, hospital, PET center, or mobile service. It's your choice. The key is how do you get word out, market your facility, and make a profitable business. This paper should be at least 2 pages long.

Purchasing Capital Equipment or Justification of hiring a new employee (3 of 4)
The question is .. how are you going to justify a need? You can write about either justifying a new FTE or the need to purchase a new piece of equipment. Many times the scientific approach works best, but it's really your call. The key is justify it!  Prove that you need what you are asking for. How would you go about doing that? This paper must be at least 2-pages long.

Applying QA to Risk Management (4 of 4)
As the Chief Technologist you are responsible for identifying/correcting risk in your department. Where are the risks in nuclear medicine? Create three potential risks and attempt to monitor/correcting data. Selecting a certain amount of time to observe a specific behavior, set a goal, collect data, and apply outcome analysis to determine if your approach worked. These are all theoretical evolutions and do not have to be specific examples of what you have seen in the clinic. Length of this paper should be at least 2 pages.

1. Outline of procedures can be found in your Table of Content.
2. Define each QC procedure. What is its purpose? Why is it necessary?  Apply no more than one paragraph per procedure.
3. Sequence how often each QC procedure must be done during a one-year time line. 
4. The QA manual and the time line should be blended into one document.

Attendance Policy

Attendance is mandatory for all classes.   As noted above, ten percent of the total course grade will go towards attendance.  Each student will be allowed 2 excused absences that must be approved by the professor.  Every three absences will result in a twenty percent drop in the attendance grade. If you are going to be absent contact the profession and this penalty may be waived.

Technology Requirements
- Participants need access to a personal computer (Mac or Windows) and the Internet for this course.
- Browser that is compatible with Canvas. To see if your browser is compatible with Canvas, visit the Canvas Browser Checker web page.
- Your computer will need speakers to hear sound for videos and audio files.
- Adobe Acrobat Reader or an equivalent PDF reader.
- A web-cam and microphone on your computer. A cell phone camera and microphone may suffice, depending on the quality of the cell phone. You are responsible for ensuring your cell phone and microphone allow for real-time video conferencing and video and audio recording.

Technology Skills Required
- It is expected that you will be able to use and check your official VCU email address daily.
- You should be able to upload documents to Canvas.
- You should be able to use word processing software.
- You may be expected to interact with me and your peers using Canvas tools. Instruction for using each tool will be given when the tool is introduced.

VCU Honor Code and Student Conduct
Students are responsible for being familiar with and adhering to the VCU Honor Code and student conduct policy as outlined in the current VCU Resource Guide, available at: http://www.students.vcu.edu/rg/

ADA Policy
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 require VCU to provide academic adjustments or accommodations for students with documented disabilities. Students seeking academic adjustments or accommodations must self-identify with the Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities on the appropriate campus. After meeting with the Coordinator, students are encouraged to meet with instructors to discuss their needs and, if applicable, any laboratory safety concerns related to their disabilities. Please refer to the VCU ADA policy in the VCU Resource Guide, available at http://www.students.vcu.edu/rg.

Policies Regarding the Academic Calendar and Course Schedule
The Department of Radiation Sciences abides by the VCU academic calendar for the MCV campus (see http:www.vcu.edu/academiccalendars/)

Institutional Policies

Academic Calendar
The Department of Radiation Sciences abides by the VCU academic calendar for the MCV Campus (see http://www.vcu.edu/academiccalendars/).

UNIVERSITY POLICIES:

The updated statements for syllabi and blackboard pages are available at https://provost.vcu.edu/academic-affairs/operations/syllabus-statements/
Topics Include:

1. Campus emergency information
2. Class registration required for attendance
3. Honor System: upholding academic integrity
4. Important dates
5. Managing stress
6. Mandatory responsibility of faculty members to report incidents of sexual misconduct
7. Military short-term training or deployment
8. Student conduct in the classroom
9. Student email standard
10. Student financial responsibility
11. Students representing the university - excused absences
12. Students with disabilities
13. Withdrawal from classes
14. Faculty communication about students

Course Objectives

1. Compare and identify the X, Y, and Z theories of Management
2. Apply the contingency approach to management
3. Discuss styles of leadership
4. Identify effective methods of communication
5. Understand the use of PACs, HIS. and RIS systems
6. Evaluate the methods of strategic marketing
7. Identify methods to assess risk in the hospital environment
8. Complete an annual budget model for a nuclear medicine department
9. Discuss basic he concepts of economics
10. Evaluate the components of medical informatics
11. Discuss NRC regulations and components that comprise a regulator license
12. Compile a list, define the need, and determine a time line for QC procedures in nuclear medicine
13. Develop a comprehensive QA program based on objected attained in the course

Course Schedule

The schedule is as follows and is subject to change based on the weather and pandemic conditions.

CLRSsyllabus2024.html