3 answers
Annie
Student
Roseau, Minnesota
3
Questions
Updated
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What does a day look like as a sonographer?
What are the tasks you complete each day? Is every day similar?
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3 answers
Téa C.
Diagnostic Medical Sonographer
18
Answers
Salt Lake City, Utah
Updated
Téa’s Answer
Hey there! The exact day-to-day workday will depend on the workplace, but I think the basic tasks each day are similar.
I do a bit more since I'm the lead ultrasound tech at my hospital, but here's what I think a basic workday looks like (with details):
~ Checking ultrasound orders-
Do our upcoming appointments have the correct ultrasound orders for what they want evaluated / the reason for the exam? Does the reason make sense for what was ordered? I can ask our schedulers to call the ordering doctor's office for corrected orders or clarification, or contact them myself. For example, on the imaging order the reason for the exam can't say stomach pain if a leg vein ultrasound was ordered (though our schedulers would catch a mistake that obvious).
~ Patients (before they arrive)-
I'll always look at patients' charts for information on related medical history/labs/surgeries/etc. For example, before someone comes in for a kidney ultrasound, I'll see if they have any kidney-related medical conditions, surgeries, labs, imaging, etc. If they have imaging that saw abnormalities, like a tumor/mass, I'll look at that imaging & the report. Then, I'll write down how large it measured & where exactly on the kidney the tumor/mass was so I could refer to that while I scan. If a patient is following up on something, like a mass/tumor that was imaged before, then I'll try to get that prior imaging, too. That way, we can compare between the previous imaging & the ultrasound we just did to see if the area/tumor/mass looks any different or has changed in size. For example, if its grown in size then the doctor might recommend a biopsy (procedure to take a sample from the mass) or other procedure. At some hospitals, ultrasound techs need to write & scan in paper worksheets for each patient (related patient medical info, ultrasound findings & measurements, etc.). So those worksheets could be partially filled out before patients come in.
~ Patients (during & after the scan)-
Talk with patients about related medical history & what brought them in for the exams, explain the exam (in more or less detail depending on if they've had the same type of ultrasound before), & then scan them. I'm a 'general' ultrasound tech instead of specializing in something specific, so I get to do a variety of ultrasounds like for arm/leg veins, abdomen, pelvis (pregnant & not), thyroid glands, miscellaneous lumps, & more. I get a different variety of scans & types of patients each day. Sometimes I'll help with procedures, like biopsies, too. I don't poke patients with needles or medical instruments, but help use ultrasound to guide things into the right areas.
After each exam, we wipe things down, toss towels & sheets/blankets into a laundry bag, send the imaging from our machines, & put our report in. In my "preliminary report," I include the patient's related medical history & describe what I'm seeing in ultrasound & medical terms. We don't make the diagnoses, but the doctors (radiologists) who look at our ultrasound pictures still look at our report along with those images.
~ Other miscellaneous tasks-
Re-stocking blankets & towels in each ultrasound patient room.
When needed, re-stocking ultrasound gel bottles, wipes, and/or other supplies for those rooms.
At some hospitals, when an ultrasound room's laundry bag is too full or at the end of the day you might need to carry that to a designated room, area, or bin. At my hospital, the janitors take care of that.
At some places, you might need to write daily in a temperature log. That just involves writing down the temperature it says on gel bottle warmers and/or blanket warmers.
Checking supplies (not daily), like to see if more need to be ordered or if any will expire soon.
I do a bit more since I'm the lead ultrasound tech at my hospital, but here's what I think a basic workday looks like (with details):
~ Checking ultrasound orders-
Do our upcoming appointments have the correct ultrasound orders for what they want evaluated / the reason for the exam? Does the reason make sense for what was ordered? I can ask our schedulers to call the ordering doctor's office for corrected orders or clarification, or contact them myself. For example, on the imaging order the reason for the exam can't say stomach pain if a leg vein ultrasound was ordered (though our schedulers would catch a mistake that obvious).
~ Patients (before they arrive)-
I'll always look at patients' charts for information on related medical history/labs/surgeries/etc. For example, before someone comes in for a kidney ultrasound, I'll see if they have any kidney-related medical conditions, surgeries, labs, imaging, etc. If they have imaging that saw abnormalities, like a tumor/mass, I'll look at that imaging & the report. Then, I'll write down how large it measured & where exactly on the kidney the tumor/mass was so I could refer to that while I scan. If a patient is following up on something, like a mass/tumor that was imaged before, then I'll try to get that prior imaging, too. That way, we can compare between the previous imaging & the ultrasound we just did to see if the area/tumor/mass looks any different or has changed in size. For example, if its grown in size then the doctor might recommend a biopsy (procedure to take a sample from the mass) or other procedure. At some hospitals, ultrasound techs need to write & scan in paper worksheets for each patient (related patient medical info, ultrasound findings & measurements, etc.). So those worksheets could be partially filled out before patients come in.
~ Patients (during & after the scan)-
Talk with patients about related medical history & what brought them in for the exams, explain the exam (in more or less detail depending on if they've had the same type of ultrasound before), & then scan them. I'm a 'general' ultrasound tech instead of specializing in something specific, so I get to do a variety of ultrasounds like for arm/leg veins, abdomen, pelvis (pregnant & not), thyroid glands, miscellaneous lumps, & more. I get a different variety of scans & types of patients each day. Sometimes I'll help with procedures, like biopsies, too. I don't poke patients with needles or medical instruments, but help use ultrasound to guide things into the right areas.
After each exam, we wipe things down, toss towels & sheets/blankets into a laundry bag, send the imaging from our machines, & put our report in. In my "preliminary report," I include the patient's related medical history & describe what I'm seeing in ultrasound & medical terms. We don't make the diagnoses, but the doctors (radiologists) who look at our ultrasound pictures still look at our report along with those images.
~ Other miscellaneous tasks-
Re-stocking blankets & towels in each ultrasound patient room.
When needed, re-stocking ultrasound gel bottles, wipes, and/or other supplies for those rooms.
At some hospitals, when an ultrasound room's laundry bag is too full or at the end of the day you might need to carry that to a designated room, area, or bin. At my hospital, the janitors take care of that.
At some places, you might need to write daily in a temperature log. That just involves writing down the temperature it says on gel bottle warmers and/or blanket warmers.
Checking supplies (not daily), like to see if more need to be ordered or if any will expire soon.
Shahnoor zahra
radiologist
1
Answer
Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Updated
Shahnoor’s Answer
A sonographer's day includes setting up equipment, using ultrasound to scan patients, reviewing images immediately, recording results, and collaborating with doctors. The job involves caring for patients, handling technical tasks, and can be physically tiring.
Irish Dufie Oppong
Registered Midwife
1
Answer
Accra, Greater Accra Region, Ghana
Updated
Irish Dufie’s Answer
A day in the life of a sonographer (ultrasound professional) is a mix of patient care, technical skill, and a bit of detective work. It’s one of those jobs where routine exists but no two days feel exactly the same.