A Day in the Life……………………….Of an Ultrasound Technologist
Christine Unger, RVT, RPhS
Whatever spurred each of us on to pursue a career in the medical field, we all succeeded because of our benevolent attitude towards others and a drive to search for and find disease. We are private detectives on the case searching for clues and following leads until we find the perpetrator of the crime .
On this quest to find disease, there are some key points to consider during the course of our day – mainly patients. They are the bread and butter of our clinics and the reason we all stay gainfully employed. But they are people first – grandparents, parents and siblings – who are seeing us at their most vulnerable time. They have symptoms and are very much afraid of the unknown and what we will indeed find.
One of the most important elements of an ultrasound exam is patient comfort, and being acutely aware of their continued comfort throughout the exam. I recently had my hair cut by an experienced stylist who was highly recommended. She did a fabulous job on the cut but every time she combed the sides of my hair she scraped the comb over my ears. I’ll probably not return to her regardless of the wonderful cut because all I can remember is my stinging ears. I could have said something to her about it, but was very reluctant to annoy her while she held the future of my hair style so firmly in her hands. Patient’s see us the same way. If they’re told to put their arm there or turn their leg out in that direction they may not want to move the limb even if it’s uncomfortable for them. I try to keep a steady dialog before and during the exam. I explain how they’ll be positioned before having them get on the examination table and make sure they’re comfortable before I begin: Do they need an extra pillow under their head or knees, are they too cold or too warm, ext. I also explain what I’m going to do beforehand: I’m going to place some warm gel on your skin, you’re going to feel the pressure of the probe, I’m going to squeeze your calf muscle rather firmly – is that okay, etc. A constant dialog gives the patient the opportunity to let you know if they’re uncomfortable, takes their mind off the situation they’re in and fills some conversation voids during the exam.
The atmosphere of the scanning room is a key element of the patient’s comfort as well. The lights are low to facilitate scanning. Add to that some soft spa music playing in the background. Most clinics don’t allow candles because of building codes, but there are many other options such as smokeless and gel candles. A patient in a room with low lights, soft spa music and a pleasant scent in the air is a much happier patient –isn’t that what we all strive for after all.