1-5 Flashcards
Explain the different types of employment settings for sonographers and which setting employs the most sonographer
Physician offices, medical offices, mobile services, hospitals(most)
Why do you list professional organizations on your resume?
It shows dedication to the profession
What types of attire is appropriate for a job interview?
suit/dress
Men could wear a jacket and tie, women can wear a conservative dress, a blazer with a skirt, a blazer with a pair of dress pants. Dress simply and conservatively, wearing shoes that are clean, polished, and in good repair.
What type of behavior should you exhibit at a job interview?
Ask questions, shake hands, discuss goals
What is the continuing education requirement for ARDMS?
30 CME’s every 3 years
To maintain registries, need to obtain the minimum number required continuing medical education credits (CME)
List the specialty credentials you can obtain from ARDMS.
obgyn, breast, cardiac, vascular
Abdomen, Breast, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fetal Echocardiography, Pediatric
How long does it take for a first impression to form at an interview?
First impression made within the first 30 seconds
What information do you include on your resume?
foreign language ability, contact info, and skills
Prior employment history should be listed at bottom of page, experience such as hours of clinical experience you have logged and or give an estimate of the number of patients you have scanned, the types of scans you have performed, also can list the different types of ultrasound equipment, PACS or electronic medical records systems that you have used. Can also include objectives and goals
Explain the different ways employment history can be listed on a resume.
chronological*, functional
Chorologic resumes list past employment in reverse chronologic order and is best for those who have previous experience in the field. Functional resumes highlight someone’s abilities rather than work history and work best for people just entering the workforce, such as students
What does tissue harmonic imaging do?
Gives you better image resolution
What does doppler ultrasound allow you to do?
Doppler(color)/ assess (color) characteristics of blood flow
What is HIPAA?
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (to protect patient medical records)
1996 established national standards for protection of patient medical information.
What is Ostensible Agency Doctrine and how does it apply to sonographers?
legal doctrine based on the premise that the employer or hospital is responsible for sonographer actions
Under this doctrine, a hospital or healthcare facility, even if not the employer, can be held liable for a sonographer’s negligence if the sonographer is a contractor or independent agent
Explain implied consent.
patient is unconscious but in need of immediate care
Consent can be implied when an emergency involves a risk to the patient’s life or if the patient is not able to communicate then consent may be implied under the theory that the patient would have consented to an emergency procedure or treatment in the face of a life-threatening situation
What is professional misconduct?
Infidelity in professional duties, unreasonable lack of skills, immoral/legal practices
Defamation
the action of damaging the good reputation of someone
any communication that holds a person up to contempt, hatred, ridicule, or scorn and mars his or her reputation
Negligence
Failure to take care in doing something
defined as performance that falls below the expected standard of care, also is the most common type of unintentional tort. It is doing something that a reasonably prudent person would not do or failing to do something a reasonably prudent person would do under similar circumstances.
Invasion of privacy
where an individual or organization knowingly intrudes upon a person
type of intentional tort and it is an intrusion on a person’s right to be left alone
False imprisonment
unlawfully depriving a person of their personal liberty
type of intentional tort and it is the illegal detention of a person without his or her consent
Common law
a law derived from judicial decisions *most medical malpractice falls here based on custom and usage
is court-made law based on custom and usage
Statutory law
state or federally enforced law passed by legislature or governing body
these laws are enacted and enforced by federal or state legislators to help maintain the governmental right to uphold social order and to protect the rights of individuals. Includes rules and regulations established by governmental agencies. Ex: states requiring licensure of sonographers, the regulations formed by the state agency are statutory law
Administrative law
body of law that regulates operations/procedures of government agencies
is a form of law made by administrative agencies appointed by the president or governor. These agencies make rules under authority established by acts of the legislature. Ex: OSHA
Constitutional law
rights granted by the US constitution
Tort
wrongful act or infringement of a persons rights
a wrongful act, other that a breach of contract, for which the law provides a remedy. Torts are divided into two categories: intentional and unintentional
Assault
an attack on a patient
is an intentional attempt or threat to inflict injury on a person. This along with an apparent present ability to cause harm, creates a reasonable fear of bodily harm or offensive contact in another
Judgmental response
expressing your opinion on what the patient is saying rather than being open and listening
telling patients they should not feel angry or afraid or that some people are in worse situations only leaves patients feeling guilty or ashamed for complaining or may cause them to become more upset.
Clarifying
making the situation/statement less confusing
sonographers should check the statements they heard or the cues they observed to be sure they understand their patients. Patients need to know that their sonographer understands their communication.
Supportive
providing encouragement or emotional help
Compassion
sympathetic pity and concern for the suffering or misfortune of others
Assurance
a positive declaration intended to give confidence or promise
Reassurance
the action of removing doubts or fears
Avoidance
Keeping away from or not doing something
the sonographer should not redirect every patient question to someone else. This signals to the patient that the sonographer cannot or will not answer.
Empathy
ability to understand and share feelings of another
Critical Thinking
open minded, based on fact, goal directed
Nonverbal communication
ways to convey info about emotions, needs, intentions, attitudes, and thoughts without using verbal language
consists of eye contact, facial expressions, body language, gestures, posture, tone of voice, and touch. Nonverbal communication accounts for a large percent of our daily communications
What is a communication triad?
sonographer, patient, family member/chaperone/interpreter
Creative technique that can be effective in solving communication problems. Triad includes three people who agree to work together to promote understanding through communication. Can be effective in employee/employer information exchanges.
List some barriers to communication.
Different language, talking too fast, lack of eye contact, using medical terminology (not facing patient possibly)
Anything that interferes with the communication process constitutes a barrier. One common barrier is talking too fast, other barriers include using slang, or using medical vocabulary. Talking in broad generalizations also makes it difficult for the receiver to know what the sender is trying to say. Also, language and cultural barriers can impede communication.
What are some best practices when communicating with someone who is depressed?
be supportive, remain silent when the patient is silent
Sonographers should allow these patients to express their feelings of sorrow and feel sad. Cheerfulness only distracts the patient and cuts off their feelings. The sonographer should be willing to sit quietly and encourage patients to talk about their feelings, and the sonographer should express word of empathy or a simple, caring touch.
What are some best practices when communicating with someone who is depressed?
be supportive, remain silent when the patient is silent
Sonographers should allow these patients to express their feelings of sorrow and feel sad. Cheerfulness only distracts the patient and cuts off their feelings. The sonographer should be willing to sit quietly and encourage patients to talk about their feelings, and the sonographer should express word of empathy or a simple, caring touch.
What information is included in sonographer reports?
Location of normal/abnormal anatomy, measurements, comments of echogenicity, textures, borders etc.
What are some of the causes of environmental stress?
Overcrowding, poor ventilation or air quality, improper lighting, improper temperature that is uncomfortable
What is the purpose of ergonomics?
Reduce or eliminate WRMSD work-related musculoskeletal disorders
How can a sonographer relieve eyestrain?
20-20-20 rule; for every 20 minutes of screentime, look 20 feet away; for at least 20 seconds
What movements can cause the following types of pain for sonographers:
Shoulder pain
abducting the arm greater that 30 degrees when scanning
What movements can cause the following types of pain for sonographers:
Hand and wrist
improperly holding or gripping the transducer (txd) too tightly
Define De Quervain disease.
Painful inflammation of tendons and the wrist
What is the maximum angle in degrees a sonographer should raise the arm consistently?
30 degrees
What is a repetitive strain injury?
A WRMSD from consistent repetitive motion over a long period of time
How often should a sonographer take a break?
10minutes per 2 hours
Explain the correct way to take a pulse and blood pressure.
(Pulse-place 2 fingers over the radial artery in the wrist and feel for pulse, count for 30 seconds and multiply by 2 to get the bpm; never use thumb to feel for pulse; if irregular count for the full minute)
(BP- place cuff 1 inch above crease in elbow and located brachial artery, place stethoscope over the artery, pump the cuff to 160 to 180mmHg, slowly release the air to 2-3mmHg/sec), 1st sound is systolic and last sound not heard is diastolic)
Where can a pulse be taken at?
The neck over the carotid, temporal region of the head, the thumb side of the wrist (radial)
In what order do you write down a blood pressure?
Systolic/diastolic
What is the normal respiration rate?
16-20 per minute
What considerations do you make when you have to remove dressings over wounds?
Check with nurse prior to removing or replacing dressings, use sterile gel, wrap the probe, gloves, careful when removing not to dislodge scabs
What are standard precautions?
Set of guidelines aimed at preventing the spread of harmful microorganisms
What is a nosocomial infection?
An infection occurs as a result of treatment in a hospital or in a hospital like setting
When is the informed consent form signed by the patient?
After the exam has been explained and any patient questions have been answered
What type of sonography procedures require a sterile field?
Amniocentesis, and liver biopsy, and many more
List commonly transmitted pathogens in patient care.
HIV, HCV, HBV
What type of isolation do you use with a compromised immune system patient?
Reverse isolation
What can a sonographer tell the patient about their results?
Nothing, radiologist/ physician relay diagnostic info to patient
What patient preparation must occur before an abdominal ultrasound?
NPO 6 to 8 hours prior to exam
Which patient position is used for the spleen?
Right later decubitus (RLD)
What side of the monitor will the liver be on when scanning on the transverse plane?
Top left
Subcoastal plane
transverse on body at the 10th costal margin
Pulsed Wave doppler
uses doppler principle that moving objects change the characteristics of sound waves; (specifically blood RBC)
Transducer movement-fan
used widely in breast, transducer is minutely swept, pivoting on a point of interest (in breast will be nipple)
Reverberation
multiple reflection that occur between the transducer and strong reflector. Reflections are placed beneath the real one at separate intervals which create a ladder effect.
Refraction
the sound beam is bent from its original direction as it passes through a boundary between tissues with different sound speeds
Mirror Image
occurs when the transmitted pulse and returning echoes reflect off a highly reflective surface and change direction before returning to the transducer
Nyquist limit
max frequency before aliasing and range ambiguity occurs NL=½ PRF (pulse repetition frequency)
