Since the half-lives of many radionuclides are often longer than the duration of the test (e.g., Il31-sodium iodide [half-life of 8.0 days], Gallium-67 [half-life of 3.3 days], Indium-111 [half-life of 2.8 days]), nurses in contact with the patient after the test have potential exposure from the patient themselves or through their excretions. [...] Monitoring methods include urine analysis and thermoluminescent dosimetry,14 the latter in the form of badges or rings.45 For external whole body doses, the reporting limit of detection is usually 0.20 mSv, depending on the organization and year of the measurement. [...] A Retrospective Cohort Study of Cancer Risks among Nurses in BC: Ionizing Radiation 12 Canadian Data from the National Dose Registry A preliminary analysis of 2002 exposure data in the most recent NDR report showed that of the 136,050 workers who were monitored, only 3 annual doses exceeded the national regulatory limit of 50 mSv (British Columbia and New Brunswick have a whole body dose limit of [...] Licensing is required for all applications of nuclear sources in health care settings, such as the use of teletherapy units, operation of brachytherapy facilities and the use of other nuclear substances and radiation devices.50 Health Canada also provides Safety Codes (Codes 20A, 31, 32, 33) pertaining to the installation and use of radiation-emitting devices, such as diagnostic x-ray equipment fo [...] Other recommendations for nurses and other health care workers include limiting time spent assisting with radiation procedures and with patients who have received radioisotopes, increasing distance from the radiation source and making use of available shielding.11 The effect of distance from the source on exposure (increasing the distance from a point source decreases exposure by the square of the
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