Cardiac Sonographer at Duke Regional

Duke Careers•Durham, NC

1d•Onsite

About The Position

At Duke Health, we're driven by a commitment to compassionate care that changes the lives of patients, their loved ones, and the greater community. Duke Regional Hospital in Durham, North Carolina, is a 388-bed facility, the second largest of Duke Health's four hospitals, offering a comprehensive range of medical, surgical, and diagnostic services, including orthopedics, weight-loss surgery, women's services, and heart and vascular services. The Cardiac Sonographer performs daily clinical operations of Echocardiography, including performing Echocardiograms, entering preliminary interpretations, and covering all sites and shifts, including call coverage.

Requirements

Graduate or completion of program that meets eligibility requirements for registry/certification or currently holds required registry or certification.
For Level I: Must obtain ARDMS certifications as required by each entity within 18 months of employment.
For Level II: Minimum of two years' experience as a Sonographer.
For Level III: A minimum of 4 years' experience within specialty modality in which they are seeking promotion.
ARDMS/CCI certification in Echocardiography.
ARDMS/CCI certification within 18 months of hire.
BLS certification.

Responsibilities

Perform routine and emergency echocardiograms, including but not limited to 2-dimensional, 3-dimensional, Doppler, Transesophageal, and Stress Echocardiogram, as requested by physician and in accordance with standard practices.
Provide echocardiography service at all necessary locations, working variable shifts, weekends, and providing emergent call coverage as scheduled.
Operate equipment necessary to perform all required procedures and to obtain optimal diagnostic recording; utilize ancillary devices such as selected transducers, digital networking system, off-line analysis systems.
Maintain equipment in working order, making minor adjustments and repairs.
Perform routine cleaning, preventive maintenance, and report any equipment malfunction to echo lab manager.
Analyze patient's medical record to obtain history of symptoms and necessary information for performance of diagnostic procedures.
Prepare preliminary reports for review and interpretation by Cardiologist, including comparison of previous studies.
Participate in quality improvement activities; evaluate procedure results for technical quality and accuracy; maintain appropriate logs, files, and records.
Review department performance in relation to established goals, implementing changes to effect outcomes.
Maintain confidentiality of patients, employees and corporation-related activities.
Instruct students, fellows, nurses, or health personnel as requested.
Communicate technical and patient care related information according to established processes and timelines.
Attend Echo Lab Meetings, participate in Echo related conferences through attendance, ensuring continuing education and professional growth.
Cultivate a collaborative and cooperative work environment within department.
Actively participate with patient testing, performing routine, non-routine, urgent, and emergent patient requests.
Perform advanced cardiac ultrasound services and procedures to patients utilizing independent judgment, with real-time and off-line manipulation of echocardiographic images for capture, display and analysis of echocardiography data.
Assist the physician with Echocardiography guided studies to aid them in proceeding with complex procedures to decrease potential associated procedural risks.
Act as a resource and assist Cardiac Sonographers and Cardiology Fellows with pre/post procedures, preliminary review of images obtained and report.
Act as a preceptor by on-boarding Cardiac Sonographers with departmental orientation, in-service and education.
Assist in establishing and maintaining department objectives and goals by functioning as a site Charge Sonographer.
Support and recommend quality assurance initiatives.
Perform advanced cardiac ultrasound services and procedures to patients such as congenital, myocardial mechanics, 3D imaging and stress utilizing independent judgment.
Function as an expert resource, to instruct other cardiac sonographers with in-services and education regarding performance and preliminary interpretation of these procedures.
Perform quality assurance to ensure that all the necessary echocardiography data are obtained for the patient on the basis of clinical history and presentation.
Formulate and ensure consistent implementation of exam protocols.
Provide in-service education and case reviews for staff cardiac sonographers in collaboration with the Echocardiography Technical Manager concerning new methods and techniques that are to be incorporated into the echocardiography exam.
Maintain up to date all laboratory policies and procedures.
Collaborate with Technical Manager and Medical Director for review annually, or as necessary for revision of all clinical policies and procedures specific to Echocardiography.
Ensure all ICAEL requirements are met and maintained, including updating staff information, CMEs, policies, procedures, and protocols annually, updating staff on all ICAEL changes, and organizing and preparing ICAEL application.
Participate as a Lead Clinical Instructor in the Echocardiography Department.
Participate in clinical education for students, residents and/or fellows specifically related to physics and image acquisition.
Provide technical assistance in research studies on new echocardiography techniques and technology initiated by Duke, other hospitals and vendors.
Assist Echocardiography Technical Manager with quality measures and outcome data to ensure a high level echocardiography lab.
Support for the Echocardiography service when the manager is unavailable.
Supervise, direct, coach, and mentor their assigned core group of staff.
Evaluate staff, provide feedback, document and directly monitor quality performance at each site.
Direct orientation, provide guidance, and constructively influence staff morale.
Instruct and educate visiting students, technologists and physicians about departmental procedures, computers and functions.
Provide Echo technical direction/functional advice and direct supervision to staff.
Interact and communicate with physicians, support staff, and other health care professionals to facilitate departmental operations.
Monitor the status of equipment repairs and preventative maintenance, gather data on equipment malfunction and associated down time, and document the effects on patient care.
Assure compliance with department and institutional policies, procedures, and regulations.
Assist with site specific personnel functions including hiring, annual evaluations, development & implementation of existing departmental policies.
Coordinate staff scheduling, and maintain payroll time reports.
Communicate information to staff in support management decisions.
Assist the Technical Manager in evaluation and selection of capital equipment.
Enhance professional growth and development of department staff through leadership participation in educational programs, current literature, in-service meetings and workshops.
Maintain working knowledge of resources available to the department and employees in developing work skills, employee benefits, and continuing education.