General/Vascular/Cardiac Sonographer

Job Description

Morrison Community Hospital
303 North Jackson Street
Morrison IL 61270

Department: Radiology

Job Title: General/Vacsular/Cardiac Sonographer

Reports To: Director of Radiology

Job Type: Full Time

Shift: Days

Monday-Friday

Job Summary

The Sonographer assumes responsibility/accountability for individual patients for a designated timeframe and provides care to these patients for diagnostic purpose. The Sonographer performs ultrasound exams: abdominal, vascular, OB GYN, small parts, and adult echocardiography in a timely manner. Ages served range from newborn to geriatric.

Essential Functions

• 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 sonographic examination and while assisting the patient on and off the ultrasound table.
• Review patient medical history and supporting clinical information.
• Utilizes critical thinking in daily and emergent assessment of proper exam protocol.
• Demonstrates compassion, empathy and respect to customers and co-workers
• Assists physician(s) and/or radiologist(s) in specialized procedures, always maintaining a sterile environment during procedures requiring this.
• Ensure that the sonography examination order is complete, contains relevant information, and meets the standard of “medical necessity.”
• Evaluate any contraindications, insufficient patient preparation, and the patient’s inability or unwillingness to tolerate the examination and 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 or musculoskeletal injury to the sonographer. Follows policy for use of lifting equipment and gait belts to lift and transfer patients.
• Conduct patient clinical assessment and perform the diagnostic medical 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.
• As necessary, acquire additional ultrasound imaging to facilitate optimum diagnostic results for the interpreting physician.
• Do not provide patients with any information regarding findings of the ultrasound exam. These findings are to come from the ordering provider or designated provider.
• Support the interpreting physician by contributing technical impressions and professional knowledge to facilitate the completion of the final diagnostic report.
• Document any incidental findings that might impact patient safety or patient care and provide that information to the interpreting physician.
• Identify and document any limitations to the sonography examination.
• Review examination images, synthesize examination results, and prepare preliminary findings.
• Send images and scan in any paperwork to the system management for the Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS). Complete exam in both PACS and EMR
• Contact radiologist or cardiologist with any questions regarding exams or protocols
• 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 (e.g., HIPAA) and facility policies, and procedures.
• Adhere to accepted professional and ethical standards.
• Provide detailed history/exam sheets of sonography examinations for use by the interpreting physician. Enter numerical data into the cardiologist transcription echocardiography report.
• Manually archive echocardiography cases and record/store for the time required by law.
• Prepare and export echocardiography images from ultrasound machine to a format easily readable for the cardiologist. Deliver to cardiologist by overnight Fed Exp or by hand on cardiology clinic days.
• Manually reload archived exams when cardiologist requires comparison, always report previous reports with each new case.
• Manage echocardiography schedule to ensure patients receive results in a timely manner and utilize available resources to achieve maximum results with decreasing any time delay(s).
• Keep probes and ultrasound equipment clean and sanitary.
• Exercise responsibility to ensure that the ultrasound equipment is functioning accurately. Maintain knowledge of equipment and continuously learn new technology and can trouble shoot equipment, report malfunctioning equipment and ensure its repair and return to service. Contact the MCH IT department if there is an IT issue. Contact the ultrasound repair person if it is a problem with the ultrasound unit.
• In addition to general sonography duties, the sonographer must be proficient in clerical duties required to perform job duties such as but not limited to scheduling, order review, report maintenance, distribution, and review with a basic understanding of prior authorizations and insurance requirements.
• Inform proper personnel of needed department supplies.
• Ensure room and equipment is clean and stocked with linen.
• Exercise responsibility for the maintenance and accuracy of facility reports, database records and logs.
• Adhere to accepted professional and ethical standards.
• Demonstrate and actively promote an understanding and commitment to the mission of Morrison Community Hospital.
• Maintain a working knowledge of applicable Federal, State and Local laws and regulations.

Qualifications

• Previous experience preferred.
• Must be CPR certified.
• Must be certified by the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) or other approved credentialing board.
• Demonstrate commitment to professional growth and lifelong learning.
• Must complete all annual continuing education requirements as required.
• Must be able to demonstrate basic computer skills in a Windows environment.
• Must be comfortable operating in a collaborative, shared leadership environment.
• Must possess a personal presence that is characterized by a sense of honesty, integrity, and caring with the ability to inspire and motivate others to promote the philosophy, mission and vision, goals, and values of Morrison Community Hospital.