Cardiovascular Sonographer

Primary Responsibilities

• Prepare exam room and ultrasound equipment to conduct sonography examinations in accordance with infections disease, sterilization, and patient safety protocols, policies, and procedures.
• Assume responsibility for the safety of the patient during the sonographic examination. ? Review patient medical history and supporting clinical information.
• 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 and musculoskeletal injury to the sonographer.
• 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.
• Apply independent judgment during the sonography examination to ensure that appropriate anatomical, pathological, and clinical conditions are accurately captured in the examination images.
• Except as authorized by written facility policies and procedures, refer specific diagnostic, treatment or prognosis questions to the appropriate physician or healthcare professional. ? As necessary, acquire additional ultrasound imaging to facilitate optimum diagnostic results for the interpreting physician.
• Identify and document any limitations to the sonography examination.
• Review examination images, synthesize 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 (e.g., HIPAA) and facility policies, and procedures.
• Adhere to accepted professional and ethical standards.
• Provide patient services consistent with the Scope of Practice and Clinical Standards for the Diagnostic Sonographer. Other Responsibilities
• Provide preliminary report of sonography examinations for use by the interpreting physician.
• Assist with the daily operation of the sonography facility.