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ryley
Student
Atlantic, Iowa
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What is a normal day as an ultrasound tech?
Trying to see what a day in the life of an ultrasound tech would look like.
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James Hanson
Pediatric Intensive Care Physician; Consultant
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Oakland, California
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James’s Answer
Ultrasound techs are radiology technologists who specialize in doing ultrasound examinations. If you are considering this as a career, keep your eyes open to other aspects of what radiology technologists can do.
Most ultrasonographers work regular 8- or 12-hour shifts. Much of that work is done during "normal business hours", but since patients need ultrasounds day and night, there is a lot of evening and night shift work in larger hospitals (small hospitals often cannot afford to have ultrasound available 24/7). An ultrasound examination can take anywhere from about 10 minutes to about an hour. There are specialized examinations, such as trans-cranial ultrasound that require extra training, but offer great value to patients.
Ultrasounds are done in a specialized room in a radiology department, but also are done wherever they are needed: Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Operating Room... For that reason, many ultrasonographers get their steps in.
Modern ultrasound machines are programmed to help assure the correct images in the correct order are obtained to help the radiologists efficiently read the studies. Ultrasonographers work with the radiologists (and often a lead technologist) to continually improve the processes and the images taken.
In most places, during a shift one gets two 15-minute breaks and a 30-minute lunch (still called that at midnight!) break.
It is important to learn the people skills of calmly explaining what you are doing, avoiding sharing your diagnosis (that's the radiologist's job), considering how to make the study as comfortable as possible...
I think ultrasonography is a great career - but as I began this, keep your mind open to all the other wonderful healthcare careers - we need many people like you in the field.
Most ultrasonographers work regular 8- or 12-hour shifts. Much of that work is done during "normal business hours", but since patients need ultrasounds day and night, there is a lot of evening and night shift work in larger hospitals (small hospitals often cannot afford to have ultrasound available 24/7). An ultrasound examination can take anywhere from about 10 minutes to about an hour. There are specialized examinations, such as trans-cranial ultrasound that require extra training, but offer great value to patients.
Ultrasounds are done in a specialized room in a radiology department, but also are done wherever they are needed: Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Operating Room... For that reason, many ultrasonographers get their steps in.
Modern ultrasound machines are programmed to help assure the correct images in the correct order are obtained to help the radiologists efficiently read the studies. Ultrasonographers work with the radiologists (and often a lead technologist) to continually improve the processes and the images taken.
In most places, during a shift one gets two 15-minute breaks and a 30-minute lunch (still called that at midnight!) break.
It is important to learn the people skills of calmly explaining what you are doing, avoiding sharing your diagnosis (that's the radiologist's job), considering how to make the study as comfortable as possible...
I think ultrasonography is a great career - but as I began this, keep your mind open to all the other wonderful healthcare careers - we need many people like you in the field.