Is it really that different?

[twinturbo427]

I am determined to  make  a career change from nuclear pharmacy to energy.  I am a tech with experience in chemistry, handling and protection, shipping, waste management, and performed as RSO when the RSO of record was not on-site.  In a nuclear pharmacy we teach, train, and practice (™) ALARA principles, incident preparedness and response, and top of that must insure sterility.  A previous employer was also the R&D facility for a popular radiation decontamination product that I personally made the test batches and performed the hot tests.

So if a person wears scrubs to work, manages personal monitoring devices, and does area surveys, does the setting really matter?
I do not mean to put to fine a point to this but an area survey is an area survey, isn't it? 

My background (from what I have learned from newbie lurking here forever) is closer to the HP/RP side of the house but I have a definite interest in the nuts and bolts (valves and rods?) of operations too.

So hit me with it.  Tell me if I am missing something.     Resume and exposure records available upon request

[Smart People]

It shouldn't be too hard to find a JR HP/RP outage job. Area surveys are area surveys, but job coverage is much different. you need to get your feet wet.

As far as operations, get your resume out there and get ready for the POSS test.

Welcome to Nukeworker

[UncaBuffalo]

I am determined to  make  a career change from nuclear pharmacy to energy.  I am a tech with experience in chemistry, handling and protection, shipping, waste management, and performed as RSO when the RSO of record was not on-site.  In a nuclear pharmacy we teach, train, and practice (™) ALARA principles, incident preparedness and response, and top of that must insure sterility.  A previous employer was also the R&D facility for a popular radiation decontamination product that I personally made the test batches and performed the hot tests.

So if a person wears scrubs to work, manages personal monitoring devices, and does area surveys, does the setting really matter?
I do not mean to put to fine a point to this but an area survey is an area survey, isn't it? 

My background (from what I have learned from newbie lurking here forever) is closer to the HP/RP side of the house but I have a definite interest in the nuts and bolts (valves and rods?) of operations too.

So hit me with it.  Tell me if I am missing something.     Resume and exposure records available upon request

Different isotopes, but you will pick that part up quickly.

The biggest shock will be the working atmosphere.  You are going from the extreme of white-collar professional 'work'...to blue-collar, down-and-dirty WORK!  Most of us would be trying to go the other way, if we were looking to make a move.

Like Smart People said - you should be able to get a job at an outage.  Expect to have to work as a junior, first...most plants don't make you a senior straight out of non-commercial - no matter how much experience you have.

Good Luck!

[Brett LaVigne]

The others pretty much covered it. My advice would be this, assume you know nothing if you make the jump. In the commercial industry there is more to being an RP/HP than area surveys and knowing HP stuff. You need to know when to do a survey and when to be concerned. Knowledge of systems is extremely helpfull in knowing potential hazards prior to diving in. When you are assigned to cover a safety injection check valve disassembly inside the bio-sheild, you'll need to know the controls are different than a CCW valve disassembly. Also the way contamination behaves at different levels, when to be concerned about creating airborn and what to do about it.

My point is this. You can have all the technical knowledge in the world and still be a huge hazard if you come into the industry thinking that the HP technical knowledge will carry you through on it's own. Much of this can not be taught without first hand experience.

Sounds like you have a great base to make the move, just be sure to let folks know your situation so they can mentor you and you will be fine. Likewise, I would have to do the same to make the move to your world. The key to success in this industry is being honest about your capabilities, be brave enough to ask for help, and checking your ego at the front gate. I am sure you would have no problem finding your way in if you want to.  Good luck.

Oh ya...twinturbo427!!! Now your talkin' my language. Forced induction RULES!!!

[twinturbo427]

I already have my thinking cap on and am ready to learn!

The big WOW! moment is realizing that the isotopes that I previously dealt with are biproducts of the reactors.  Much akin to a career move from a burger joint to the slaughterhouse. 

The biggest shock will be the working atmosphere.  You are going from the extreme of white-collar professional 'work'...to blue-collar, down-and-dirty WORK!  Most of us would be trying to go the other way, if we were looking to make a move.
I can understand how the appearance may be that nuclear pharmacy is a white collar job but that only holds true for the executives.  I am not going to lie though, being clean in the air conditioning is a good thing.

Thanks for the advice. 

[UncaBuffalo]

...
I can understand how the appearance may be that nuclear pharmacy is a white collar job but that only holds true for the executives.  I am not going to lie though, being clean in the air conditioning is a good thing.

Thanks for the advice. 

I'm not talking about just the physical work environment.  I am also talking about the attitudes of the people whose work you will be trying to control.  Be prepared for some culture shock when your first group of union (insert you knuckle-dragging craft of choice) steamrolls you on their way to create mayhem in your area of 'control'...


(Note to all you knuckle-draggers.  Don't be offended by my comments above: You are my favorite workers, 'cuz I used to be one & you always let me jump in and make mayhem with you...we just do it in a safe manner!    It's the freakin' engineers that make my life miserable!  )

[twinturbo427]

To answer my own question;  Yes, it really is VERY different.  There are fundamentals that are common to both industries and that makes me feel as though I have a "hands on" advantage, although we will see how long that lasts when I pass through security on my first day.

I have been studying like mad for the POSS/MASS and have been reading and reviewing the OSHA requirements.  My test is next week.  I am experiencing a bit of nervous trepidation like some young kid just out of school.  I view that as a good thing because that means I DO NOT think that I know everything.

[IPREGEN]

Probably the biggest delta you may not be aware of is job coverage and control of the work force. The required mitigating actions to prevent overexposure in an evolution such as core barrel lift or cutting incores are not usually practiced in the pharmacy.

[twinturbo427]

Probably the biggest delta you may not be aware of is job coverage and control of the work force. The required mitigating actions to prevent overexposure in an evolution such as core barrel lift or cutting incores are not usually practiced in the pharmacy.

You do not know how right you are!  So right in fact that I actually investigated those procedures online.

I was fortunate enough to have a mentor with vast experience outside of the traditional nuke pharmacy who made education a priority.  If radioactive isotopes could somehow be involved, be it in medicine, energy, national security, or waste management, we studied it for cross application purposes.