Introducing… a MRI technologist

Naya Zaiyouna is a senior MRI technologist based at McMaster Children’s Hospital. She has been with Hamilton Health Sciences for 15 years.

What do you do?

As a senior in the area, I have a few roles. I prepare patients for their MRI scans. Preparation involves a full MRI safety screening and initiating IVs when required. I also scan patients and work closely with radiologists to triage any inpatient requests.

I am responsible for the workflow of the day, providing data that ensures we achieve ministry guidelines. MRI safety is a big part of my job. I provide MRI safety training to any hospital staff that may visit our department.

What do you love most about your job?

I enjoy working with children. There are challenging aspects with pediatric patients and MRI. The scanner is sensitive to motion and noisy, and the process can be long.

This can be a bit challenging when you have a child who is scared just to go into the MRI room. Because of these circumstances, I developed specific skills to work with our young patients so they ultimately leave happy and proud of their accomplishment.

Who inspires you?

My mother is my greatest inspiration. I saw her face her own personal challenges, which she always saw as opportunities to make a difference. She taught me to always see the positive in all people and in all situations. I apply those values every day.

As stressful as some days may be, I accept the challenge and work through it by either resolving it on my own or reaching out to my team. I also make time to celebrate the achievements.

What is the biggest challenge in your role?

My biggest challenge is to ensure all the patients (inpatients and outpatients) complete their scans within the correct time frame. We have one scanner and it can be hard to manage several requests.

The good news is I have a great group of colleagues and we work together daily to solve any problems.