Imagine a person undergoing and ultrasound for a critical disease and a parent standing close by. For a sonographer himself, the challenge is in being closely watched for any expressions of alarm or concern. With one unguarded reaction, the patient may suffer panic. This is why the profession of being a sonographer requires skills, not just in the field of expertise of the medical professional; rather the quality of careful dealing with the patient and relatives also requires acing. The thrill of any work is not just in performing the job to the best of one’s capabilities rather to also be a pro at it. This is why the discussion that highlights the qualities of a decent practicing sonographer is essential and appreciated by many practitioners of the field.
With the working conditions that a professional practitioner functions with, darkened rooms and arrays of machinery and computers are factors of routine.Dealing with the patient is a task that doesn’t happen repetitively because there are many new faces with every visitor. Even despite the fact that a sonographer meets his/her patients one maybe two times in total, interpersonal skills are still quality of appreciation. It is important to regard the feelings of the patient and the conditions the visit of the patient centers around.
This article ‘The Anatomy of a Sonographer/ Electro cardiography’ provides a vivid account of the environmental conditions within which the sonographer works and the qualities and attributes which may make the job easier for the practitioner himself and for the patient in those conditions. Knowing of the required qualities, it becomes easier for the practitioner to plan ahead and instill in his/her character the required traits for the smooth progression of his/her career and also so that the upcoming challenges could be better dealt with. This insight makes the article an important contribution in the field of sonography and a great tool of reference for the people of the field.
For me too, this article provides critical insight into what the practice actually looks like and how as a practitioner becomes more and more trained, the challenges continue to grow in extent. With this article, I have the opportunity to learn from a person of greater skill about the job requirements and also to plan ahead and perfect the skills that would make the job easier for me in the future.
Another important contribution is the article ‘The interface between sonographer and the Sonographic Machine – A postmodern perspective’. This peer-reviewed article discusses the dire link in between the sonographer and the machine. It wouldn’t be inaccurate to say that the most important relationship a sonographer has is with the machines that allow him/her to work his/her magic which means that understanding that machine is vital to the career. It is important for the sonographer to not only have the technical expertise to operate the required machines to optimal efficiency rather to also have the ability to adapt to innovations in the field. Frair in his study of the medical equipment required for Sonography made note that the manufacturers of this sonographic equipment compete with one another to present us with continued technical innovation, but the differences are lost on the consumers of those machines. The article further progresses to give the practitioner a better understanding of the machine, and how it undergoes innovation.
The article is a vital contribution to the field of sonography because it provides the expert with the knowledge that could help him/her excel at making effective use of the tools of the trade. This is ultimately quite likely to make the sonographer more skilled at what he/she does and by understanding the required machines better, the practitioner could become more adept at dealing with irregularities and foreseen hurdles when it comes to the machinery.
For me too, I think that understanding the machinery that I am to work with in a better way helps me in doing my job more proficiently. This is what makes this article very useful in understanding the machinery that I am to operate. It would of course also prepare me for fixing any anomalies to the machinery so that I would not have to suffer delays in wait of technical expertise.
A good sonographer is one who is not only able to maximize his potential with the objective of getting jobs done best as is possible, rather a successful practitioner in the field also knows to deal effectively with the problems which these sonographers stand to face in their line of work. A doctor can only do as much for the patient as his/her health may permit. This is the reason why being aware of the health issues that these sonographers helps us train future practitioners that are better at what they do. In this respect, the article ‘Sonographers andOccupationalOveruseSyndrome:Cause, Effect,and Solutions’ describe a health worry that these sonographers are likely to come by through the course of their profession. Ultrasounds necessitate a very peculiar use of the muscles and when a sonographer practices without rest in between exams, the medical professional is likely to face muscle damage which has potential of ending the career in the event that it escalates to the worse scenario.
Knowing of this muscle problem which has potential of turning into a challenge, the article by explaining the disease warns the practitioner of the problems that it could create in the future of the professional. The qualities of a good professional include the foresight to watch out for these challenges so that the career could be extended over the longest possible term. Qualified sonographers are not easy to come by, and this is why the ones that we do have in the field are treasured by most. To better help them maintain their health, this article ensures that attempts at sustaining the career are also coupled with continued growth.
For me, this article is critical because it warns me of the problems to watch out for through the course of my career and gives me guidelines as to how their risk could be minimized. These are codes to live by which I am sure to incorporate into my routine once I start as a practitioner in my field.
Another aspect to consider in the practice of sonography is the focus on consumer needs and requirements. Consumerism has become the basis for many business policies, and there is no reason why the profession of medicine should be an exception. At the end of the day, the needs of the consumer are the highest priority and helping the patient get better should be the aim of the practice too. The term that is used in the article ‘Centering the Patient in Radiology Research’ is ‘Consumerism’. The goal of practice under this concept is that the patient is better informed so as to put him/her in a better position to make more informed decisions together with the medical team which tends to the patient. This article presents challenges which surface when the practitioners work under the singularity of consumerism.
In the pursuit of becoming the best sonographer one can become, consumerism is another concept which could be used as the basis of the practice. This article is quite beneficial for the reason that given that one chooses to use the concept as basis of practice, the possible challenges and the solutions to those challenges could be estimated with the help of this article and the practitioner could better prepare to deal with the challenges that way.
For me, this article is important because I have always felt the need of the patient and his/her feelings to be an essential factor in the equation and with this article, better understanding the needs of the patient becomes a possibility and guidelines to follow in this regard are available.
List of References
Craig, M. (1987). The Anatomy of a Sonographer/ Electrocardiographer. Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography, 42-45.
Evans, K. D. (2007). The Interface Between Sonographer and the Sonographic Machine- A post-Modern Perspective. Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography, 38-43.
Jakes, C. (2001). Sonographers and Occupational Overuse Syndrome:Cause, Effect,and Solutions. Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography, 312-320.
Thomson, N. B. (2016). Centering the Patient in Radiology Research. Academic Radiology, 1-2.
