Career Opportunities

Primary Responsibilities:

• Performs M-mode, two dimensional, three dimensional, spectral and color Doppler echocardiograms according to the established laboratory protocol and modified as needed by patient variability; reviews medical record for pertinent history. Communicates with reading physicians regarding echocardiogram findings.
• Performs saline contrast studies and UEA studies as per protocol.
• Generates preliminary reports with all protocol specified measurements.
• Determines priority for requested studies and revises schedule as needed to perform urgent outpatient and emergency inpatient studies; recognizes important and life-threatening abnormalities on the echocardiogram and calls them to the immediate attention of the director or physicians.
• Instructs cardiac and anesthesia fellows in scanning technique. Identifies patients with echocardiographic findings of importance or uniqueness for the hospital's and medical staff's teaching and research program.
• Assists in training new echocardiography staff. Instructs techniques of echocardiography (scanning and interpretation) to fellow, house officers, students and new colleagues.
• Monitors supply inventory and notifies manager to re-order; maintains equipment in clean, running order and notifies manager if equipment repair is warranted
• Treats all patient information and laboratory findings in a confidential manner; responds to all patients in a courteous and professional manner.
• Maintains knowledge of echocardiography with attendance at weekly conferences and attendance at conferences/CME events. Maintain minimum CME requirements as per ARDMS/CCI.
• In addition to the above responsibilities, the level II sonographer must maintain a professional contribution in two or more of the following areas: IV insertion Active participation of an educational activity within the last 12 months (active participation in a regional or national educational activities i.e. faculty, board member) HCM Stress Echo Performs stress echo/dobutamine stress echo Actively scanning and competent in intraprocedural Cath lab studies Active and ongoing participation in research studies/QI projects (within the last 12 months) > 5 years experience scanning ACS credential FASE designation

Required Qualifications:

• Vocational or Technical training in echocardiography.
• Basic Life Support RDCS (ARDMS) or RCS (CCI) certification. New graduates are expected to obtain
• RDCS/RCS certification within 3 months of hire date.
• Knowledge of cardiac anatomy, physiology, and pathology either through college level courses in biology and anatomy and/or relevant acquired experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Graduation of an accredited echocardiography program.
• At least three years of experience performing echocardiograms in a hospital setting

Competencies:

• Decision Making: Ability to make decisions that are guided by general instructions and practices requiring some interpretation. May make recommendations for solving problems of moderate complexity and importance.
• Problem Solving: Ability to address problems that are varied, requiring analysis or interpretation of the situation using direct observation, knowledge and skills based on general precedents.
• Independence of Action: Ability to follow precedents and procedures. May set priorities and organize work within general guidelines. Seeks assistance when confronted with difficult and/or unpredictable situations. Work progress is monitored by supervisor/manager.
• Written Communications: Ability to communicate clearly and effectively in written English with internal and external customers.
• Oral Communications: Ability to comprehend and converse in English to communicate effectively with medical center staff, patients, families and external customers.
• Knowledge: Ability to demonstrate full working knowledge of standard concepts, practices, procedures and policies with the ability to use them in varied situations.
• Teamwork: Ability to work collaboratively in small teams to improve the operations of immediate work groups by offering ideas, identifying issues, and respecting team members.
• Customer Service: Ability to provide a high level of customer service to patients, visitors, staff and external customers in a professional, service-oriented, respectful manner using skills in active listening and problem solving. Ability to remain calm in stressful situations.

Age-based Competencies: Employees in this job must be competent to provide patient care to the following age groups: Young adult: 16-30 years, Middle Age: 30 - 60 years, Elderly: 60 - over.

Social/Environmental Requirements:

• Work requires close attention to tasks for work to be accurately completed. Intermittent breaks during the workday do not compromise the work.
• Work routine is consistent, but employees need to be able to use judgment to respond to events several times a week.
• Potential exposure to adverse environmental conditions
• Daily: Protective equipment required (Respirator, earplugs, mask, gloves, eyewear etc), Potential exposure to infectious diseases and/or airborne pathogens, Potential exposure to infectious diseases and/or bloodborne pathogens.

Health Care Status: HCW1: Regular, day-to-day contact; both face-to-face and hands-on (having close contact within three feet for at least five minutes). Examples: physicians, clinical nurses, phlebotomist, medical assistants, PFT tech, and x-ray tech.- Health Care Worker Status may vary by department

Sensory Requirements:

Close work (paperwork, visual examination), Colorvision/perception, Visualmonotony, Visual clarity <3 feet, Conversation, Telephone, Background Noise.

Physical Requirements:

Medium work: Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally and or up to 20 pounds of force frequently. Job is physical in nature and employee needs to stand and/or move around through the majority of their shift.

This job requires frequent walking, standing, bending neck, bending waist, twisting neck, twisting waist, Power Grasping using one hand, Fine Manipulation using one hand, Pushing/Pulling using one hand, Keyboard use, Reaching-above shoulder height, Reaching-below shoulder height, Pushing items weighing up to 10 lbs, Pushing items weighing up to 25 lbs, Pushing items weighing up to 50 lbs. There may be occasional pushing items weighing up to 75 lbs, pushing items weighing up to or more than 100 lbs. Push a wheelchair or wheeled bed containing a patient weighing up to 250 pounds, with assistance.