Advanced Practice Sonographer

UT Southwestern Medical Center • Dallas, TX

7d • Onsite

About The Position

The Advanced Practice Sonographer (APS) functions as a physician extender, working under the delegated authority of supervising physicians. The successful candidate will focus on providing advanced clinical sonography services at Clements and Zale Lipshy University Hospitals, and/or associated outpatient/clinic imaging centers.

Requirements

• Associate's Degree In biology, physiology, or other related field
• 6 years of full-time clinical ultrasound experience including at least three (3) years performing advanced procedures
• Extensive clinical experience in providing sonography services and demonstrated ability to mentor and support staff sonographers
• Demonstrated proficiency with computer skills and software programs used for imaging viewing and interpretation, documentation and report generation
• Registration with American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography Upon Hire
• Advanced certification in Abdominal, Neurological, Vascular, Obstetrics and Gynecology, or other area of specialization as dictated by unit or standard of care. Upon Hire
• (BLS) BASIC LIFE SUPPORT Course accredited by the American Heart Association (AHA) or American Red Cross (ARC) prior to hire and/or placement in job Upon Hire
• Maintain proficiency in at least three advanced ultrasound techniques (e.g., peripheral vascular; 3D ultrasound; CEUS; elastography; MSK; etc.)
• Attend all faculty-led ultrasound-specific lectures, journal clubs and staff meetings
• Attend 50% of ultrasound quality improvement and clinical journal club meetings
• Attend other conferences as necessary to stay current with latest ultrasound practices
• Maintain 10 CME hours per year.

Responsibilities

• Reviews ultrasound images with sonographers upon completion of their clinical examination for appropriateness, image quality, and protocol completion.
• Reviews patient clinical history, including signs and symptoms, to ensure complete patient history and aid in appropriate billing of examination.
• Reviews prior relevant reports and images including prior ultrasounds, CT's, or MRI's.
• Provides scanning assistance for technically challenging and/or complicated exams. Authorizes patient release or rescan patient to resolve diagnostic questions.
• Provide real-time quality assurance feedback, and coordinate department-level quality-improvement initiatives.
• Synthesizes sonography examination results and prepare draft report in the departmental dictation or reporting system.
• Assists with new sonographer onboarding and trainee education.
• Helps communicate new service line and protocol changes to ultrasound staff and/or providers.
• Participates directly in advanced techniques such as contrast-enhanced, 3D, and musculoskeletal ultrasound.
• Coordinates guided procedures and searches for relevant history and laboratory values.
• Facilitates clinical and translational research activities.
• Performs additional advanced sonography services or other tasks (e.g., peripheral intravenous line placement; contrast injection; endocavitary ultrasound; 3D ultrasound) delegated by the supervising physician, consistent with education, training, and facility protocols, policies, and procedures.
• Must be able to demonstrate patient-centered/patient-valued behaviors.
• Assumes responsibility for the safety of the patient while in the ultrasound department.
• Must be proficient in general ultrasound and/or vascular exams.
• Apply independent, professional, and ethical judgment, and critical thinking to ensure that appropriate anatomical, pathological, and clinical conditions are accurately captured in the examination images.
• Ensures the sonography examination order is complete, contains relevant clinical information, and meets the standard for "medical necessity".
• As necessary, acquires additional images to facilitate optimum diagnostic results for the interpreting physician.
• Must be virtually self-supervising.
• Must be able to read, interpret and report ultrasound examinations.
• Adheres to applicable professional and ethical standards.
• Ensures compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, policies and procedures.
• Provides patient services consistent with the Scope of Practice and Clinical Standards for the Diagnostic Sonographer.
• Excepts as authorized by written facility policies and procedures, refer specific diagnostic, treatment or prognosis questions to the appropriate physician or healthcare professional.
• Exercises responsibility to ensure that the ultrasound equipment is functioning accurately.
• Shows ability to troubleshoot quality control procedures to ensure that the ultrasound equipment operates at optimal levels to ensure patient safety and high image quality.
• Conducts sonography examinations in accordance with infectious disease, sterilization, and patient safety protocols, policies, and procedures.
• Provides education and training to sonographers in the utilization of new equipment features/benefits or scanning techniques.
• Directly oversees use/performance of advanced ultrasound techniques such as 3D ultrasound, contrast-enhanced ultrasound, elastography, peripheral vascular Doppler, and musculoskeletal ultrasound.
• Shows proficiency in post-processing of 3D data for volumetric and multiplanar assessment.
• Documents any incidental findings that may impact patient safety or patient care and provide that information to the interpreting physician and/or ordering provider.
• Identifies and documents any limitations to the sonography examination.
• Exercises responsibility for the preparation, maintenance, and accuracy of reports, database records, and logs.
• Provides oversight of imaging quality within Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS).
• Oversees quality assurance, monitoring sonographer's scanning capabilities, accuracy, protocol completeness, and technique before findings are released for interpretation.
• Works with the supervising physician to ensure quality patient care.
• Functions as a technical or clinical leader/expert in sonography.
• Develops templates to use in reporting examination findings.
• Creates descriptive preliminary reports for review and finalization by radiologist.
• Accounts for the creation, oversight and implementation of scanning protocols and quality control activities that positively affect patient care and outcomes, workflow, and/or cost-effective imaging.
• Provides re-scanning support to staff sonographers, when appropriate.
• Ensures that appropriate accreditation is secured and maintained.
• Acts as an effective liaison between sonographers, radiology faculty, imaging service line, hospital administration, department administration, and clinical research office.
• Demonstrates good verbal and interpersonal skills.
• Positive, pro-active attitude with willingness to problem solve; ability to build trust and facilitate a collaborative working relationship within a busy clinical service and among multiple sonographers and other stakeholders.
• Assists with the education and training of sonography students, medical students, residents and/or radiology physicians trainees.

Benefits

• PPO medical plan, available day one at no cost for full-time employee-only coverage
• 100% coverage for preventive healthcare-no copay
• Paid Time Off, available day one
• Retirement Programs through the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)
• Paid Parental Leave Benefit
• Wellness programs
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Qualified Employer

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Associate degree