Sonography At A Glance: The Job Description
Each week, a sonographer generally spends an average
of 40 hours working in the hospital, weekend or evening shifts and on-call
duties. Contractual employment may also be part of his itinerary in which he
will be going to different medical facilities in a particular geographical
region. This is very much similar to working at mobile imaging service facility
in which the sonographer constantly is on the move in locations which are not
capable of accessing related medical services. A portable imaging equipment is
utilized in this kind of situation.
The working environment of sonographers is usually
very sanitary and well ventilated. In rooms where diagnostic imaging is
performed, lights are turned off in order to capture images properly. There may
also be situations wherein the imaging process is done right beside the patient.
The The work of sonographers involve very physically
demanding tasks such as moving hospital equipment, helping patients to move,
standing for long periods of time and other similar activities which require
strength and dexterity. Work can also be exhausting since sonographers typically
work for quite a number of hours each day. Due to these physical challenges,
there are possibilities for injuries different body parts such as the neck, back
and eyes, as well as risk for carpel tunnel syndrome. This is a medical
condition in which too much wrist compression can lead to muscle weakness or
numbness. Therefore it is very important that sonographers are physically fit
and are knowledgeable in the proper use of imaging equipment.
Sonographers need to have good interpersonal and
communication skills since they will be working in close proximity with
different kinds of patients and other co-workers. With regards to patient care,
the following duties are commonly performed by the sonographer in the ultrasound
procedure:
1.) Explaining imaging
procedures
2.) Acquiring the necessary
waiver form
3.) Taking note of the patient’s
medical history which will be relevant to how the imaging procedure will be done
4.) Assisting the patient to be
properly positioned on the ultrasound table
5.) Making the necessary
physical preparations on the patient such as application of gel on the area to
be scanned so as to facilitate the ultrasound transmission procedure
6.) Fine tuning the ultrasound
equipment in order to achieve the best possible images
Besides patient interaction, a sonographer also
needs to have excellent oral and written communication skills since he will be
accomplishing oral and written reports of the imaging results acquired. The
report must be concise and organized since this report will be crucial in the
diagnosis of the requesting physician so that he will be able to advice the best
possible treatment for the patient.
Based on the statistics conducted by the United
States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics or USDL BLS, the
sonography profession has a very promising future as the demand for more
professionals increase at an astounding rate. Forecasts also tell us that
employment opportunities for sonographers will continue to grow at an estimated
rate of 19% until the year 2016. With the increase of the elderly people in the
population, so do the need for more competent sonography practitioners and more
diagnostic imaging equipment. And since sonography imaging procedures are
generally considered a safer option as compared to other scanning methods which
use radiation, it is expected that more and more people will be considering it
as their primary option for treatment.
|
