Sonographer

Overview

• Prepare exam room and ultrasound equipment to conduct sonography examinations in accordance with infectious disease, sterilization, and patient safety protocols, policies, and procedures.
• Assume responsibility for the safety of the patient during the sonography examination.
• Review patient medical history and supporting clinical information.
• Ensure the sonography examination order is complete, contains relevant clinical information, and meets the standard for “medical necessity.”
• Evaluate any contraindications, insufficient patient preparation, and the patient’s inability or unwillingness to tolerate the examination or associated procedures.
• Communicate with the patient in a manner appropriate to the patient’s ability to understand.
• Use proper patient positioning tools, devices, equipment adjustment, and ergonomically correct scanning techniques to ensure patient comfort and safety, and to prevent compromised data acquisition and musculoskeletal injury to the sonographer.
• Conduct patient clinical assessment and perform the sonography examination ordered by the supervising physician in accordance with professional and facility protocols.
• Apply independent, professional, ethical judgment, and critical thinking to safely perform diagnostic sonography procedures.
• Apply independent, professional, and ethical judgment in the sonography examination to ensure that appropriate anatomical, pathological, and clinical conditions are accurately captured in the examination images.
• As necessary, acquire additional images to facilitate optimum diagnostic results for the interpreting physician.
• Identify and document any limitations to the sonography examination.
• Review examination images, synthesize sonography examination results, and prepare the preliminary findings.
• Except as authorized by written facility policies and procedures, refer specific diagnostic, treatment or prognosis questions to the appropriate physician or healthcare professional.
• Maintain patient privacy and confidentiality in accordance with privacy laws and facility policies, and procedures.
• Adhere to applicable professional and ethical standards.
• Provide patient services consistent with the Scope of Practice and Clinical Standards for the Diagnostic Sonographer.
• Perform advanced sonography services or other tasks delegated by the supervising physician, consistent with education, training, and facility protocols, policies, and procedures.
• Provide preliminary report of sonography examination for use by the interpreting physician.
• Assist with the daily operation of the sonography facility
• Perform quality control procedures to ensure that the ultrasound equipment operates at optimal levels.
• Perform quality control procedures to determine that ultrasound equipment operates at optimal levels to ensure patient safety.
• Exercise responsibility for the preventive maintenance program for ultrasound equipment.
• Document any incidental findings that may impact patient safety or patient care and provide that information to the interpreting physician.