Here’s how to become a radiology nurse: earn your RN license, then get hired into an imaging or interventional radiology department. Once you log 1,500 hours of radiology nursing in the past three years and 30 qualifying contact hours, you can sit for the Certified Radiology Nurse (CRN) exam. The CRN is voluntary and valid for four years.
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If you’re the ICU or ED nurse who perks up when a patient heads down for a CT-guided drain, radiology nursing may suit you. Radiology nurses are RNs who prepare, monitor, and recover patients through diagnostic scans and image-guided procedures in interventional radiology (IR), and they give ordered sedation when trained and authorized. Here’s what the work looks like, how you get hired, and where CRN certification and an MSN fit.
What Radiology Nurses Do in Diagnostic Imaging
Diagnostic radiology uses imaging to find disease or injury. The main tools are x-ray and fluoroscopy, ultrasound, CT, MRI, and nuclear medicine. Radiologists read the images. As the nurse, you get the patient through the scan safely.
That looks a little different in each area. In CT, you might start the IV, review lab results before contrast, and watch for a contrast reaction. In MRI, you help screen patients for implants and monitor anyone who needs sedation in the scanner. In breast imaging, you may support patients through stereotactic or ultrasound-guided biopsies.
Radiologists also subspecialize, so you’ll hear these service names on the job:
- Breast imaging: Imaging and diagnosis of breast disease
- Cardiovascular radiology: Imaging of the heart, blood vessels, and lymphatic vessels
- Chest radiology: Imaging of the heart and lungs
- Emergency radiology: Imaging for trauma and other emergencies
- Gastrointestinal radiology: Imaging of the stomach, intestines, and abdomen
- Genitourinary radiology: Imaging of the reproductive organs and urinary system
- Head and neck radiology: Imaging of disease in the head and neck
- Neuroradiology: Imaging of the brain, spine, and nervous system
- Nuclear radiology: Imaging with trace doses of radioactive material, including heart and bone scans
- Pediatric radiology: Imaging of children
Radiation oncology, which treats cancer with radiation, isn’t on that list. It’s a separate specialty with its own board certificate from the American Board of Radiology (ABR).
What Is Interventional Radiology?
Interventional radiology is where imaging turns into treatment. The Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) describes an interventional radiologist as a board-certified physician who uses x-ray, CT, MRI, and ultrasound to guide minimally invasive treatments. Most treatments start with a needle stick, then a thin wire and catheter guided through a blood vessel. SIR notes that most are outpatient procedures.
Since 2017, the ABR has certified these physicians in interventional radiology/diagnostic radiology (IR/DR), a specialty certificate that replaced the old vascular and interventional radiology subspecialty certificate.
IR physicians treat narrowed arteries, aneurysms, and bleeding, plus vein problems like blood clots, varicose veins, and blocked veins. Other IR treatments and procedures include:
- Treating tumors with ablation or embolization
- Treating uterine fibroids
- Draining fluid or pus in the chest or abdomen
- Placing feeding tubes (gastrostomy)
- Treating collapsed spinal bones (vertebroplasty)
- Draining a kidney blocked by stones (nephrostomy)
- Treating gallstones
As an interventional radiology nurse, you’ll help with procedures like these:
- Biopsy
- Drainage
- Angiography
- Angioplasty
- Central venous access
- Embolization
- Chemoembolization
- Stenting and grafting
- Fallopian tube catheterization
- Hemodialysis access maintenance
- Radiofrequency ablation
- Thrombolysis
- Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS)
- Uterine fibroid embolization
IR has subspecialties of its own, and two of them shape a lot of nursing work.
Interventional Oncology
IR supports cancer diagnosis, minimally invasive treatment, and relief of cancer-related symptoms, including palliative care during active treatment and at the end of life. Procedures include:
- Biopsies
- Chemoembolization
- Placing and removing chemotherapy ports
- Placing and removing chemotherapy catheters
- Cryoablation
- Radiofrequency ablation
- Internal radiation therapy
Neurointerventional Radiology
Neurointerventional radiology treats stroke, brain aneurysms, and other central nervous system conditions from inside the blood vessels. Procedures include:
- Embolization of brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) and dural fistulas
- Stenting of narrowed carotid arteries in the neck and arteries in the brain
- Coiling and other treatments for brain aneurysms
- Tumor embolization
Radiology Nurse Duties Before, During, and After a Procedure
Your main job is patient safety. You assess the patient, keep them stable through the procedure, and catch complications early. In diagnostic and interventional radiology alike, that work includes:
- Preparing patients: Checking vitals, medications, NPO status, lab results, and medical history
- Teaching patients and families: Making sure they understand the procedure and plan of care before the consent is signed, then giving discharge instructions
- Managing IV access: Starting and removing intravenous lines
- Giving sedation and medications: Ordered moderate (conscious) sedation if you’re trained and state law, nursing regulations, and facility policy allow it, plus other ordered medications
- Monitoring during the procedure: Tracking vitals and how the patient tolerates sedation
- Keeping patients safe and comfortable: Before, during, and after the procedure
- Watching for complications afterward: Bleeding at the puncture site, pain, and changes in mental status or vitals
How to Become a Radiology Nurse
Every radiology nurse starts as a registered nurse. First you complete a state-approved prelicensure nursing program, whether that’s a diploma, associate degree (ADN), BSN, or graduate-entry program. Then you apply for licensure to your state board of nursing, register for the NCLEX-RN from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), get your Authorization to Test, and pass the exam. You also have to meet your state’s other licensure requirements before you practice.
Many nurses move into radiology after time in critical care, the emergency department, or a lab that does diagnostic and therapeutic imaging procedures. That background helps because IR patients can turn unstable on the table. Employers commonly require Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), both offered through the American Heart Association. ACLS adds skills like cardioversion, pacing, and code medications.
If your primary state of legal residence belongs to the Nurse Licensure Compact and issues you a multistate license, you can practice as an RN in other compact states too, under each state’s nursing laws and rules.
Professional Certification for Radiology Nurses
CRN certification is voluntary, not an RN licensure requirement. Employers set their own certification requirements and preferences. The Radiologic Nursing Certification Board (RNCB) awards the CRN, separately from the Association for Radiologic and Imaging Nursing (ARIN). The Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification (ABSNC) has accredited the CRN program since July 2018.
RNCB’s certification guidelines, revised January 2026, list three requirements to sit for the CRN exam:
- An active RN license
- At least 1,500 hours of radiology nursing as a licensed RN in the past 3 years
- 30 contact hours of continuing education applicable to radiology patients within 24 months of your exam date, with at least 15 specifically related to radiology nursing
The 1,500-hour minimum is new in the 2026 handbook. Older RNCB handbooks said 2,000, and many websites still do. Hours in clinical management, supervision, or education of other staff can count. Two practitioners in the specialty, one of them a supervisor, must verify your hours.
The exam is computer based, with a maximum of 150 multiple-choice questions and 3 hours of testing time. It’s offered monthly, and the application deadline is the first of the month before your testing month. As of November 2026, RNCB charges $325 for ARIN members and $425 for nonmembers, application fee included.
The exam blueprint leans on interventional work. Interventional radiology makes up 35% of the modality content, and CT and MRI make up 20%. The other three modality areas get 15% each:
- Diagnostic imaging, fluoroscopy, and breast health
- Ultrasound and vascular ultrasound
- Nuclear medicine, PET, and radiation therapy
The CRN is valid for 4 years, and you can recertify two ways. By exam, you pass it again while meeting the same eligibility requirements as first-time candidates. By continuing education, you need an active RN license, at least 1,500 hours of radiology nursing in the past 4 years, and 60 contact hours over those 4 years, with at least 30 related to radiology nursing.
MSN Program Options
You don’t need a master’s degree to work as a radiology nurse. An MSN matters if you want to move into advanced nursing careers that fit an imaging department. As a clinical nurse specialist, you might own the department’s sedation and safety protocols. As a nurse practitioner, you might see patients before and after procedures. Nurse educators train new radiology staff, and nurse leaders run the unit.
For NP or CNS practice, choose a program that prepares you for that specific role and patient population, then earn board certification and meet your state’s licensure or recognition requirements. An MSN in education or leadership won’t qualify you as an NP or CNS.
Traditional MSN programs usually expect a BSN and an active RN license. Most also ask for a minimum undergraduate GPA, admission essays, and letters of recommendation, and many want clinical experience. Some programs also require GRE scores.
Whatever you choose, verify the program’s nursing accreditation and check that it meets the requirements of your intended certifying board and your state board of nursing. The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) are the common accreditors, and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) also accepts programs accredited by the NLN Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (CNEA).
Many MSN programs run partly or fully online, which helps if you’re working shifts. Online coursework doesn’t remove clinical or practicum hours, though. Placement locations vary, and you may need to travel. Ask how the school secures and approves sites and preceptors, what it expects from you, and what happens if a placement falls through.
Two other routes fit nurses with different starting points:
- RN to MSN: For RNs with an associate degree. You complete BSN-level coursework and the MSN in one program, without finishing a separate bachelor’s degree first.
- Direct-entry MSN: For career changers with a bachelor’s degree in another field. The program combines prelicensure nursing preparation with master’s-level study. Depending on the program, you become eligible for the NCLEX-RN during the program or after completing it.
Radiology Nurse Salary and Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) doesn’t publish a separate salary for radiology nurses. It counts them as registered nurses, who earned a median annual wage of $97,550 as of May 2025, according to BLS wage data. BLS employment projections show registered nurse jobs growing 5.6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 180,800 openings a year.
If you take the nurse practitioner route, nurse practitioners earned a median of $132,300 as of May 2025, and BLS projects their employment to grow 41% from 2025 to 2035. Clinical nurse specialists don’t have a separate BLS category: BLS counts them as registered nurses.
| Occupation | Median Annual Wage (May 2025) | Job Growth (2025 to 2035) |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses (includes radiology nurses) | $97,550 | 5.6% |
| Nurse Practitioners | $132,300 | 41.0% |
For advanced practice pay by role and state, see our salary data for MSN-educated nurses.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to become a radiology nurse?
First you complete a state-approved nursing program, apply to your state board, register for the NCLEX-RN, and pass it once you have your Authorization to Test. You can work in radiology as soon as an employer hires you there. For CRN eligibility, you need 1,500 hours of radiology nursing in the past 3 years, which is about nine months at 40 hours a week.
Do you need a BSN to be a radiology nurse?
Not for CRN certification. RNCB asks for an active RN license, not a specific degree. Some employers prefer a BSN, so check job postings in your area. An associate-degree RN can also go straight to graduate school through an RN to MSN program.
What does the CRN exam cover?
The exam has up to 150 multiple-choice questions over 3 hours. RNCB’s blueprint weights patient assessment and care planning, therapeutic interventions, and safety and emergency management at 25% each. Interventional radiology is the biggest modality area, at 35%.
Can radiology nurses give sedation?
Often, yes. Trained RNs may give ordered moderate (conscious) sedation when state law, nursing regulations, and facility policy allow it. Check your state’s nurse practice act, nursing regulations, and board of nursing guidance before you take an IR job.
How do you renew the CRN credential?
The CRN lasts 4 years. To renew by exam, you pass it again while meeting the same eligibility requirements as first-time candidates. To renew by continuing education, you need an active RN license, 1,500 hours of radiology nursing in the past 4 years, and 60 contact hours, with at least 30 related to radiology nursing.
- RN license first: Radiology nurses are registered nurses, not radiologists, so you start with an approved nursing program, the NCLEX-RN, and a state RN license.
- CRN eligibility: RNCB’s 2026 handbook requires 1,500 hours of radiology nursing in 3 years plus 30 contact hours of continuing education.
- The exam: Up to 150 multiple-choice questions in 3 hours, offered monthly, with certification valid for 4 years.
- Where an MSN fits: It’s optional for radiology nursing, and only an NP or CNS program for your role and population, plus board certification and state licensure or recognition, qualifies you for those roles.
- Pay: BLS counts radiology nurses as registered nurses, who earned a median of $97,550 as of May 2025.
2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Nurse Practitioners and Registered Nurses. Figures reflect national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed November 2026. National job outlook figures (2025-2035) are from the BLS Employment Projections program.
Thinking past the CRN to a clinical nurse specialist, nurse practitioner, or educator role in imaging? The programs listed here include online MSN options for working RNs. Compare them on accreditation, format, and how they handle clinical placements.