The Estonian Society of Radiographers (ESR) is a non-profit organisation, was founded in 1992, one year after Estonia regained it's independence.
Members of society 288 in 2008.
THE HISTORY of ESR
Current member meet the following requirements:
Designations of Estonian radiographers had changed several times. Now the practitioners - radiographic nurses are named different from the newly graduated radiological technologists.
The Estonian Hospitals Development Program until 2015 approved by Government shows that in Estonia shall be 200 radiologists in the year 2015. The optimal rate of radiologists/radiographers shall be 1:4, that means in 2015 will be 800 radiographers instead of 320 today.
According to this program the annual need of radiographers will be 50.
Our society Development Program has a proposal to use for describing radiographers work intensity in credit-points. For full time work it shall be 3000 credit points in the current year. Right now most of radiographers are working double or even more.
Radiographers education in Estonia
The Radiographers- practitioners have Medical School graduation as the basic achievement education before being graduated an association degree.
The association degree has different meanings: 1993-2001 association degree is the graduation after specialising courses of ESR, before that the courses arranger was Ministry of Health of Estonian Socialistic Republic. The latter is still approved.
Over 50% of practitioners have the last mentioned education.
Practitioners have been regularly educated by this latter ESR professional development education, what means courses overall in Estonian hospitals.
The arranger of that course is the local society of radiographers. The daylong course contains the lecture and workshop.
Since 1999 we have 3,5 year Radiographers High- vocational Education in the Tartu Healthcare Highschool..
Estonian Radiographers Standard of Practice is ratified in Estonian Qualification Authority - EQA/by the Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry/ in 2001.