Medical Sonographer

Position Function: Under the directions of a radiologist, performs diagnostic ultrasound exams for subsequent evaluations by attending physician. Assists physician as requested in the selection of practical applications and technical factors.
Essential Functions and Responsibilities
Unit Based Essential Functions and Responsibilities

Core Values: Service, Integrity, Compassion
1. Demonstrates service excellence and patient and family centered care by showing respect, honesty, fairness and a positive attitude toward all customers.
2. Maintains confidentiality.
3. Demonstrates dependability, to include attendance and punctuality.
4. Is accountable - takes initiative and ownership of issues.
5. Displays a professional demeanor. Represents hospital in a positive way. Has a compassionate working relationship with patients and families.
6. Assumes personal responsibility for 2-way communication. Communicates and listens effectively with patients, families, coworkers, other departments, physicians/providers and community.
7. Supports coworkers, initiatives and a patient and family centered philosophy; pitches in; does own part and helps others.
8. Works to continuously improve work environment/processes (Performance Improvement). Demonstrates a patient and family centered focus when considering/developing improvement solutions.
9. Represents willingness/enthusiasm to create, embrace and facilitate change.
10. Develops self and others; supports a learning environment; leads by example. Encourages patients and families to give feedback and suggestions for improvement.
11. Develops working relationships critical to the organization including patients, families, coworkers, other departments, physicians/providers and community.
12. Encourages others by providing recognition and support.

Technical Excellence
1. Thinks critically; utilizes sound judgment; promptly reports potential risks.
2. Maintains state of art knowledge of area of specialty, healthcare trends and practice, and populations served.
3. Maintains a level of computer literacy appropriate to their role.
4. Meets and maintains current all unit specific and organizational skills/competencies, certifications/licensures, as required.
5. Completes hospital-required reviews, e.g. HIPAA, safety, health screening,
care concerns, and others as assigned.
6. Adheres to National Patient Safety Goals.

Job Class Specifics
1. Performs required daily start up and shut down procedures, including daily logs
2. Collaborates with staff members, management team, interdepartmental staff to identify and initiate appropriate interventions to deal with problems, needs and issues.
3. Maintains a professional image that reflects the employees role in health care, with confidence and a positive impression.
4. Assists in orientation of new personnel or trainees to the department by being friendly and encouraging and serving as a buddy to the new technologist.
5. Assists and maintains a neat, clean and safe environment for patients and other staff members, cleans spills immediately.
6. Assists in maintaining equipment assigned to patient care and reports malfunctioning of equipment to appropriate personnel.
7. Verifies patient identification by universal protocol; verifies correct procedure by checking physician orders on the chart or requisition, contacting physician with any discrepancy; notifies pre-registration of any exam changes.
8. Verifies patient using two patient identifiers. Accurately reviews EPIC for CPOE orders or scanned physician's order, contacting the physician with any discrepancy.
9. Obtains relevant and accurate patient history by using standardized form prior to exam; explains procedure and equipment; obtains written consent if necessary.
10. Inspires confidence from Radiologists by performing and communicating in a highly professional manner at all times.
11. Demonstrates ability to communicate pertinent information and accurately report it to all the primary care personnel to ensure continuity of patient care; reports acute life threatening conditions to the radiologist personally.
12. Consistently takes ownership of customer problems and follows through to close the loop with the customer.
13. Recognizes and responds to priorities in the patient care. Readily adapts to changes in workload and responds efficiently.
14. Consistently documents interventions in the EPIC System and Synapse as evidenced by monthly reports. Ensures that scanned documents are accurate, complete, and legible.
15. Checks images with radiologist prior to biopsy, stays competent in all aspects of ultrasound biopsies. Maintains infection control standards at all times, including high level disinfection for intracavity probes.
16. Familiar with duties and performs them independently, accurately, promptly recognizing their importance and relationship to patient care/ imaging for all age/population groups.
17. Utilizes proper body mechanics to prevent injury to self and others. Safely positions, transfers and transports patients.
18. Observes changes in patient condition and promptly reports to primary care personnel, or Rapid Response team
19. Responds appropriately to emergency situations, 100% universal protocol, Patient ID, infection control, room cleaning, and isolation precautions.
20. Effective problem solving skills related to patient status.
21. Assumes responsibility and accountability for assisting and completion of patient care and accurate documentation throughout the imaging.
22. Responsible for activation of downtime forms during planned and unplanned EPIC and/or Synapse downtime periods.
23. Prioritizes and coordinates workload so that tasks are completed in an efficient manner, keeps team members updated on changes in workflow or patient care, documents critical information in writing to co-workers.
24. Maintains appropriate quantities of supplies for the next shift, ensure security of injectables and supplies at all times, distributes supplies and linen in a timely manner.
25. Completes work from own shift, voluntarily reports to x-ray/CT for added assignments during downtime.
26. Checks the communication clipboard for any recent changes to protocol, offers suggestions to make workflow better.
27. Maintains current knowledge through reading journals, attending meetings/in-services or CEUs to maintain certification.
28. Routinely demonstrates competence and familiarity with all routine and invasive Ultrasound procedures; includes a working knowledge of anatomy, physics, positioning and a selection of scanner dependent operations.
29. Actively assists in developing skills of clinical students, trainees and interns by demonstrating technical and clinical aspects of the job assignment.
30. Follows all department protocols for ultrasound scanning.
31. Routinely performs other duties as assigned.
32. Follows department policy to meet Medicare guidelines, ensuring diagnosis codes are relevant.
33. Meets deadlines in special projects and daily responsibilities, demonstrates a need no reminders attitude.

General Requirements

The following requirements are expected of all employees:

Core Values: Integrity, Compassion, Excellence, Service
Annual Health Screening with Infection Control and Blood Borne Pathogens Education
Safety Awareness: Hospital Fire, Safety, and Disaster procedures
Confidentiality: Maintains employee and patient confidentiality.
Attendance: Regular attendance is an essential function of the position
Leadership Standards:
Character: Attitude, Integrity, Role Modeling
Job Performance: Results orientation, Customer focus, Decision making, Awareness
Interpersonal Skills: Communication, Relationship-building, Team player, Celebration
Innovation: Breakthrough Thinking, Knowledge-Building/Sharing, Coaching/Empowering, System Vision & Management

Physical and Mental Requirements: Classified as medium work by the Dictionary of Occupational Titles: May exert 20 to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and / or 10 to 20 pounds of force frequently, and / or greater than negligible (up to 10 pounds) force constantly in order to move objects.
Lifts and carries up to 50 pounds for distances up to 200 feet occasionally.
Operates self-propelled equipment with wheels weighing 1,000 pounds.
Occasionally bending and squatting from higher to lower levels during normal shift.
Reaches to heights of up to 2 feet overhead occasionally.
Walks throughout the department frequently during the shift, with sitting and standing interspersed.
Visual acuity with depth and color perception in order to operate R/F patient monitor equipment, view computer screen, and decipher fine print.
Auditory acuity with ability to hear phone conversation, overhead pages, alarms, and normal voice tones when not facing the individual.
Manual dexterity and digital sensitivity to adjust equipment controls.
Good hand / eye coordination.
Ability to move rapidly in response to unpredictable emergencies that could happen one / more times per shift.
Mental Demands - possesses good general mental health; ability to work under pressure and function independently; ability to establish priorities among essential functions of the job and coordinate these functions with others; sound conflict resolution skills; ability to communicate in both verbal and written form; ability to speak, read and write the English language; ability to maintain good interpersonal relationships with staff, other hospital personnel, physicians and the general public.

Working Environment: Work is performed in a clean, well-ventilated indoor area with minimal radiation exposure hazards. Exposure [occupational level] to ionizing radiation while utilizing protective shielding. Possible exposure to patients with infectious diseases or to bodily fluids which may contain infectious agents.

Reporting Structure: Reports to the Supervising Radiologist for professional direction and the Imaging Supervisor for administrative matters. In their absence, reports to the Diagnostic Supervisor, or the Administrative Director of Diagnostic Imaging.

Disclaimer: These essential job functions are requirements of the position which must be performed either with or without reasonable accommodation. The essential job function list is intended to be a guide rather than a limitation. The Chambersburg Hospital possesses the right to add new responsibilities to the list as business demands dictate. Some of the essential job functions may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat/significant risk to the health and safety of themselves or others.

By identifying essential job functions, we are in no way stating or implying that these required tasks are the only activities that are to be performed by the employee occupying this position. In addition, employees will also be expected to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties that are included in the job description. The preceding requirements represent only the minimum acceptable levels of knowledge, skills, and/or abilities that a job incumbent must possess; in order to perform the job successfully, the incumbent will possess additional aptitudes so as to perform the other duties that the job description entails.

Qualifications and Standards

Education: Graduate of an AMA-approved school in an allied health occupation or an ultrasound school.

Experience: Experience applying customer service behaviors and communication skills required. One year experience in an ultrasound lab preferred. Must have good understanding of procedures, various machines, and computer knowledge in the ultrasound lab.

Certifications/Licensure: Registered in Ultrasound by the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (RDMS) in abdomen or OB-GYN. Must achieve Registered Vascular Technologist (RVT) through RDMS within twelve months of hire date. Current CPR/AED certification required.

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