Sonographer/Echo & Vascular - Neurodiagnostic - Full Time - Days

Nebraska Methodist Health System; Council Bluffs (IA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Nebraska Methodist Health System is seeking a dedicated ultrasound technologist to perform vascular and echocardiography studies at Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs, IA. The role requires ARDMS credentials or eligibility, and a 2-year ultrasound program with clinically relevant experience.

Responsibilities include accurate exam performance, patient communication, and maintaining Cerner/PACS workflows.

Qualifications

• ARDMS registered or board eligible required.
• Successful completion of an accredited ultrasound technology program (2-year).
• Two years of clinical experience in echo/vascular is required.

Responsibilities

• Perform vascular and echocardiography exams with attention to accuracy and patient safety.
• Verify patient identity and obtain consent; explain procedures to patients.
• Maintain Cerner/PACS workflow and ensure images and reports are properly linked to orders.
• Assist physicians, coordinate with staff, and manage patient flow within the department.
• Maintain and update exam documentation, inventory, and equipment readiness.

Skills

Patient care

Attention to detail

Communication

Team collaboration

Education

ARDMS registered or board eligible

2-year ultrasound tech program

Tools

Cerner

PACS

Xcelera

Job description

Why work for Nebraska Methodist Health System?

At Nebraska Methodist Health System, we focus on providing exceptional care to the communities we serve and people we employ. We call it The Meaning of Care – a culture that has and will continue to set us apart. It’s helping families grow by making each delivery special, conveying a difficult diagnosis with a compassionate touch, going above and beyond for a patient’s needs, or giving a high five when a patient beats a disease or conquers a personal health challenge. We offer competitive pay, excellent benefits and a great work environment where all employees are valued! Most importantly, our employees are part of a team that makes a real difference in the communities we live and work in.

Job Summary

Location: Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital
Address: 933 E Pierce St, Council Bluffs, IA
Work Schedule: 36-40 hours/week, with on-call rotation during unstaffed shifts. More will be discussed during interviews.
Coordinates and performs vascular/echo procedures.

Responsibilities

Essential Functions

Exam performance/quality.

• Identifies each patient by ID band verification and birth date.
• Ensures patient understanding of pending procedure.
• Cover appropriate body parts and position patient correctly.
• Follows appropriate guidelines and departmental protocols.
• Performs exams as priority dictates and as directed.
• Critiques each exam for technical and positional accuracy and makes appropriate corrections if necessary.

Workflow management.

• Review orders for clinical and demographic consistency and verifies accuracy prior to exam.
• Willfully assists physicians, patients, and coworkers as needed and seeks opportunities to provide patient care.
• Understand and support the direction and workflow of the department.
• Maintain awareness of ongoing exams and assist co-workers as needed.
• Provide exam information and status updates to pertinent staff members.
• Relieves co-workers from procedures/exams as necessary.
• Be in the department and ready to work at the start of scheduled shift.
• Have processes set in place to allow for leaving at the end of scheduled shift.
• Obtain and consolidate all images, reports and history with completed exam information for review.
• Take call. Coordinates inpatient procedure flow. (Hospital Only)

Systems/Cerner.

• Maintain a working knowledge of Cerner.
• Starts and completes own exams correctly and in a timely manner.
• Consistently uses the Online Worklist to monitor orders and order status.
• Verify correct images matched with order.
• Able to perform clean up functions on PACS workstation.

Department Policy/Procedures.

• Ensures proper patient identification on all images to comply with department policies and procedures.
• Willingly seeks opportunity to provide patient care, or assist others as needed.
• Demonstrates knowledge of department guidelines through responsible behavior/actions.
• Maintains updated ARDMS license.
• Ensures that call reports and/or other specifications are followed through.
• Report issues/concerns as soon as possible and provide assistance with resolution/follow-up.

Clinical Enrichment.

• Provides and monitors "on the job training" per Methodist College standards.
• Maintains professional and courteous relationship with students and instructors.
• Provide leadership and guidance for students' education clinical experience.

Confidentiality.

• Maintains patient confidentiality coinciding with HIPAA.
• Maintain student/co-worker confidentiality coinciding with FERPA.

Provides appropriate care specific to the age of the patient to ensure understanding and comfort level of treatment as outlined in the "Age Specific Criteria".

• Provides appropriate patient care.
• Shows confidence and competency in all age specific categories.
• Ensures patient comfort and understanding of ordered exam.

Coordinates and performs echo/vascular procedures according to the department policy and procedures approved by the Medical Director's and Intersocietal Accreditation Commission Echocardiography (ICAEL)/Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories (ICAVL) governing body using digital imaging.

• Selects from work list 100% of the time or follows the correct down time guidelines for patient demographic information in order to pass the information to medical records.
• Works closely with IT when the work list is not working. IT feedback and notification of manual scanning of finalized results for medical records.
• Competency check list on each procedure by technical director (echo/vascular).

Obtains accurate patient history, appropriate indications for the study and critical measurements for physician interpretation.

• Measure feedback from Cardiologist/Vascular Surgeon, peers, business office and medical records.

Acquires all images digitally in Xcelera and assigned the images to a Cardiologist/Vascular Surgeon for final interpretation and report.

• All studies sent and edited within 24 hours of procedure.

Educates patient on procedure and confirms understanding PRIOR to beginning the procedure.

• Patient inquiry of education review prior to exam by supervisor on a prn basis. Rounding for outcomes.
• Patient inquiry if educational material were provided by ordering physician's office.

Log each patient on log sheet and bill appropriately in Cerner following the procedure.

• Feedback from Business office and Medical Records.

Provide critical lab results to the ordering department and provide instruction to repeat back the results for clarification and understanding per department policy.

• Document on log sheet who the critical lab result was provided to with confirmation the results were read back to the sonographer. Initial log sheet after results are read back.
• Round for outcomes on positive results.
• Peer observation and feedback.

Collaborates in maintaining proper inventory and works with IT and Bio-Med when equipment or system goes down.

• Keeps manager informed of maintenance issues and IT system issues.
• Feedback from IT (PACS project manager).
• Feedback from Bio-Med on ultrasound and SAP equipment issues.

Works the monthly assignments fairly and in the best interest of the department.

• Managers observation.
• Feedback from peers.

Schedule

36-40 hours/week, with on-call rotation during unstaffed shifts. More will be discussed during interviews.

Job Description

Job Requirements

Education

• American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) registered or board eligible required.
• Requires successful completion of an accredited ultrasound technical 2 year program.
• Participates in mandatory in-services and continuing education programs as mandate by policies and procedures/ external agencies and as directed by Manager.

Experience

• Two years of clinical experience (student and/or professional) in echo/vascular required.

License/Certifications

• Current American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) strongly preferred at time of hire, required within 3 months of hire.
• American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) registered or board eligible required.
• RVT (Registered Vascular Tech) and/or RDCS (Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer) through the ARDMS required upon employment. With both being required after six months of employment.

Skills/Knowledge/Abilities

• Ability to effectively communicate and interact with patients and family members as well as hospital personnel and coworkers required.
• Ability to effectively organize work in order to perform several tasks at once required.
• Computer skills required.

Physical Requirements

Weight Demands

• Medium Work - Exerting up to 50 pounds of force.

Physical Activity

• Not necessary for the position (0%):
  • Climbing
  • Crawling
• Occasionally Performed (1%-33%):
  • Distinguish colors
  • Kneeling
  • Sitting