By Beth Allen CRA, RT(R)(CT)
Beth Allen CRA, RT(R)(CT)
I am a big fan of great quotes. Maya Angelou once said, “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”
I have come to learn that imaging is definitely a cyclical business. We go from being overstaffed to understaffed and back again. We have periods of growing and expanding to times of cost cutting and preservation of assets, knowing that each strategy is temporary. These changes come quickly, and we need to be able to turn on a dime.
Sometimes we put big effort into a project that has a lot of buzz and excitement. We are proud of the work we have done and can’t wait to see it come to fruition. It then becomes so disappointing to be told that this now is not in the budget, or we are going a different direction. Plans changed.
The opposite can be true. A leader may come up with a big idea and we need to pull it together in a very short amount of time. All hands on deck! Plans changed.
One thing is true in all scenarios. Plans change.
We are tasked with finding solutions. This is covered in the first part of the quote above. If something doesn’t work, we should change it. This applies to all parts of our lives. Consider any alternative solutions that come to mind. Sometimes the craziest idea is the best one. Change your position, your situation or whatever it is you don’t like, if you can.
Easier said than done. If things cannot change, which is often the case, then it may just be a matter of perspective.
Who knows what our next challenge will be or which direction it will come from. We will continue to be asked to be efficient and find new solutions. Technology will continue to evolve. Who would have thought that remote scanning would be a hot topic 20 years ago? Who knows what we will be talking about 20 years from now.
The trick is to identify what works. What do we like? What should we change? What do we just have to live with?
I do know we will continue to go through these cycles. So, whatever is going on right now is not a permanent state. We can plan and forecast, but we have to consider the cycle that we are in and act accordingly. That we cannot change.
We might as well choose a good attitude. That part we can control. We learn from whatever part of the cycle we are in. We will gain experience that will help us to be successful the next time the situation comes around.
Here is another great quote by John C. Maxwell, “Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.”
We have opportunities to be bold and make the most of our situation every day. We can use our resources to make the best decisions with the information that we have at the time. We can manage the puzzle pieces and ask our personnel to be part of the solution. Imaging is a team sport. I appreciate the series of fortunate events that has allowed me to be a part of this unique world of radiology and the amazing people on my team.
I wouldn’t change a thing.
Thanks for all you do.
– Beth Allen CRA, RT(R)(CT), is the director of clinical operations with Banner Imaging.
