Position patients for treatment or examination.

Position patients for treatment or examination. is a detailed work activity in O*NET — a concrete unit of work shared across 13 occupations and seen in 14 occupation-specific tasks. It rolls up into the broader work activity Assist healthcare practitioners during medical procedures. in Assisting and Caring for Others .

Detailed work activities are the most granular shared layer in O*NET's work-activity hierarchy (Generalized → Intermediate → Detailed → occupation-specific task). The figures below describe how this activity shows up across the economy and what independent studies measure about AI and this kind of work — not a prediction that the work will be automated.

AI exposure

Of the 14 tasks under this activity that the OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rated, 1 (7%) are flagged as directly exposed to language models (E1) or exposed via model-powered tools (E2).

Exposure estimates overlap with model capabilities — whether a model could speed the task up — not whether the work will be done by software. Observed AI use is augmentation and assistance today, not jobs replaced.

Member tasks

Occupation-specific tasks O*NET maps to this detailed work activity, most important first.

• Position patient on examining table and set up and adjust equipment to obtain optimum view of specific body area as requested by physician. · Radiologic Technologists and Technicians · importance 4.9 · no direct exposure
• Position patients for treatment with accuracy, according to prescription. · Radiation Therapists · importance 4.9 · no direct exposure
• Select appropriate equipment settings and adjust patient positions to obtain the best sites and angles. · Diagnostic Medical Sonographers · importance 4.8 · no direct exposure
• Prepare patients for surgery, including positioning patients on the operating table and covering them with sterile surgical drapes to prevent exposure. · Surgical Technologists · importance 4.8 · no direct exposure
• Position patients on cradle, attaching immobilization devices, if needed, to ensure appropriate placement for imaging. · Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists · importance 4.8 · no direct exposure
• Prepare patient for exam by explaining procedure, transferring patient to ultrasound table, scrubbing skin and applying gel, and positioning patient properly. · Diagnostic Medical Sonographers · importance 4.7 · no direct exposure
• Position patient on operating table to maximize patient comfort and surgical accessibility. · Anesthesiologists · importance 4.7 · no direct exposure
• Coordinate or participate in the positioning of patients, using body stabilizing equipment or protective padding to provide appropriate exposure for the procedure or to protect against nerve damage or circulation impairment. · Surgical Assistants · importance 4.7 · no direct exposure
• Restrain animals during exams or procedures. · Veterinary Technologists and Technicians · importance 4.7 · no direct exposure
• Prepare and position patients for testing. · Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians · importance 4.6 · no direct exposure
• Position radiation fields, radiation beams, and patient to allow for most effective treatment of patient's disease, using computer. · Nuclear Medicine Technologists · importance 4.5 · exposure with tools
• Restrain violent, potentially violent, or suicidal patients by verbal or physical means as required. · Psychiatric Technicians · importance 4.5 · no direct exposure
• Assist maternal patients to find physical positions that will facilitate childbirth. · Midwives · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Immobilize patient for placement on stretcher and ambulance transport, using backboard or other spinal immobilization device. · Emergency Medical Technicians · no direct exposure

Occupations that perform this

• Radiologic Technologists and Technicians
• Radiation Therapists
• Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
• Surgical Technologists
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists
• Anesthesiologists
• Surgical Assistants
• Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
• Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians
• Nuclear Medicine Technologists
• Psychiatric Technicians
• Midwives
• Emergency Medical Technicians

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

• O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
• “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

@misc{singulariki-position-patients-for-treatment-or-examination,
  title  = {Position patients for treatment or examination.},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/detailed-activities/position-patients-for-treatment-or-examination}
}