Prepare patients physically for medical procedures.

Prepare patients physically for medical procedures. is a detailed work activity in O*NET — a concrete unit of work shared across 11 occupations and seen in 13 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 13 tasks under this activity that the OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rated, 3 (23%) 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.

• Provide and maintain life support and airway management and help prepare patients for emergency surgery. · Anesthesiologists · importance 4.8 · no direct exposure
• Place and secure small, portable magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners on body part to be imaged, such as arm, leg, or head. · Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists · importance 4.8 · exposure with tools
• 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
• Attach electrodes to patients, using adhesives. · Neurodiagnostic Technologists · importance 4.7 · no direct exposure
• Measure patients' body parts and mark locations where electrodes are to be placed. · Neurodiagnostic Technologists · importance 4.7 · no direct exposure
• Show patients to examination rooms and prepare them for the physician. · Medical Assistants · importance 4.6 · no direct exposure
• Attach electrodes to the patients' chests, arms, and legs, connect electrodes to leads from the electrocardiogram (EKG) machine, and operate the EKG machine to obtain a reading. · Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians · importance 4.6 · exposure with tools
• Prepare animals for surgery, performing such tasks as shaving surgical areas. · Veterinary Technologists and Technicians · importance 4.5 · no direct exposure
• Remove patient hair or disinfect incision sites to prepare patient for surgery. · Surgical Assistants · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Attach physiological monitoring leads to patient's finger, chest, waist, or other body parts. · Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists · importance 4.1 · no direct exposure
• Prepare patients for and assist with examinations or treatments. · Registered Nurses · importance 4.1 · no direct exposure
• Prepare patients for examinations, tests, or treatments and explain procedures. · Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses · importance 4.0 · exposure with tools
• Remove jewelry, watches, or other personal items from the deceased prior to cremation. · Crematory Operators · no direct exposure

Occupations that perform this

• Anesthesiologists
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists
• Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
• Neurodiagnostic Technologists
• Medical Assistants
• Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians
• Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
• Surgical Assistants
• Registered Nurses
• Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
• Crematory Operators

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-prepare-patients-physically-for-medical-procedures,
  title  = {Prepare patients physically for medical procedures.},
  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/prepare-patients-physically-for-medical-procedures}
}