Echocardiography Tech

Description

IT'S SIMPLE. You want to work in a hospital setting where you are valued and appreciated - where you receive respect from your superiors and co-workers as well as the patients you treat.

You want to be challenged by your job without being overwhelmed by it. You want to play an instrumental role in helping a patient recover, sometimes against strong odds, and go home. What you want is Kindred Healthcare.

Our mission is to promote healing, provide hope, preserve dignity, and produce value for each patient, resident, family member, customer, employee, and shareholder we serve. Join us!

Essential Functions:

Acquires, records, and assesses clinical, anatomical, and physiological patient data by utilization of Doppler Echocardiography techniques and protocols. Obtains a brief, recent patient history relating to cardiac problems and currently prescribed medication to gain insight into the patient's diagnosis and diagnostic study orientation. Evaluates and assesses results in terms of age-related norms/values and potential for untoward outcomes and/or need for emergent physician interaction.

Accurately adjusts the equipment for optimal imaging and diagnostic quality. Accurately determines the proper gain, depth gain compensation, and machine settings to maximize the image quality and achieve the expected outcomes of the various echocardiographic protocols, while at the same time, decreasing the degree of ultrasonic energy exposure for potential patient safety.

Consistently adapts to complex studies due to poor patient compliance, atypical cardiac anatomy, ventilators, or lack of acoustic ultrasound window. Accurately positions the patients to achieve optimum quality and lessen patient discomfort.

Conducts in-service education programs for staff when requested. Assists with reviewing and evaluating policies and procedures promptly.

Conducts quality assurance activities as requested. Assists with day-to-day administrative functions of running the department as requested. Records all pertinent information of diagnostic tests and the aspects of care provided as part of the cardiac lab scope of practice.

Notes inpatient testing/date on patient chart in a timely manner per department policy. Reports critical findings and condition of patients to physicians responsible for interpretation of tests. Acquires and maintains quality assurance data and departmental statistical data in a timely and accurate manner as requested by the Director per department procedure. Assists in orienting and training new students and staff in procedures and policies of the department when requested.

Efficiently assists the physician and lab staff in transesophageal echos, stress echoes, and shunt-flow studies. Quickly obtains images S/P exercise to enhance the accuracy and validity of the stress/pharmacological echocardiography protocols. , Understands the difference in rationale and protocol between the stress and pharmacological echo procedures and transesophageal echo utilization. Aware of the proper charge codes for all procedures and acceptable diagnosis for each.

Understands and accurately applies diagnostic/assessment echocardiographic protocol considered to be accurate and of widespread acceptance to calculate effective areas of diseased vascular orifices, including the continuity equation, pressure half-time, and Bernoulli equation.

Logs test data, compiles data information, and provides the interpreting physician with an oral and/or written interpretation and a summary of the technical findings. Accurately enters the patient data into the Meditech system and maintains a correlation to assess data entry accuracy for the day-to-day operation of the diagnostic lab.

Always obtain and interpret information and make decisions appropriate to the patient's age. Maintains a knowledge of growth and development.

Understands the range of treatment required by patients as appropriate to their ages. Serves patients of these age groups: Neonate, Pediatric, Adult, Geriatric.

Always follows Infection Control policies and procedures. Maintains awareness of Safety Policies and always follows Safety Policies and Procedures.

To perform this job, an individual must perform each essential function satisfactorily with or without reasonable accommodation.

Core Competencies:

• Values Every Voice. Seeks to understand different perspectives and cultures; contributes to a work climate where the contributions of all individuals are valued and supported.

• Shows Courage. Faces difficult issues and supports others who do the same; is willing to campion an idea or position despite dissent or political risk; provides direct and actionable feedback.

• Leans Into New Ideas. Learns quickly when facing new situations; experiments to find new solutions and extracts lessons learned from failures and mistakes.

• Instills Trust. Follows through on commitments and keeps confidences; is seen as direct and truthful, shows consistency between words and actions.

• Plans and aligns. Sets objectives to align with broader organizational goals; breaks down objectives into appropriate initiatives and actions; anticipates and adjusts effective contingency plans.

• Builds Effective Teams. Establishes common objectives and a shared mindset; creates a feeling of belonging and strong team morale; fosters open dialogue and collaboration among the team.

• Business Insight. Uses knowledge of business drivers to guide actions; keeps up with current and possible future practices and trends in the with the competition and in the marketplace.

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

The position of echocardiographer or cardiac sonographer is a highly skilled individual. They must have qualifications and credentials including an academic foundation and be clinically based. The entry-level of knowledge, skills, and experience for a new employee to successfully perform the specific job requirements for this position in the cardiopulmonary department at Logan Regional Medical Center are as follows:

• Satisfactory completion of a Cardiac Ultrasound/Doppler training program and at least one year of independent clinical experience; or board eligible for credentialing by the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers in the specialty of echocardiography.

• Pursual (and ultimate attainment) of registry credentialing will be required for satisfactory performance in this position.

• Ability to communicate and work with patients of all age groups and particularly the older and geriatric population.

• Ability to integrate data from patient's charts, laboratory files, verbal interrogation of the patient, patient's history and medications, and the data contained on the request for service form.

• Ability to assess measurements and acquired data in terms of relativity as it relates to disease entity, medications, or patient's age.

• Ability to communicate effectively with the cardiologist or physician responsible for making the final interpretation.

• Ability to study and learn new skills to promote dynamic diagnostic lab practice and promote a patient-oriented quality of service.

• Ability to maintain test, record, and patient confidentiality.

• Satisfactory performance in all major areas of last evaluation and good attendance record.