Sonographers can avoid work related pain or injuries by following appropriate ergonomic techniques. Ergonomics is the study of the correlation between individuals' efficacy in their work environment and the equipment used to perform daily tasks. In sonography, work related pain or injury doesn't necessarily happen quickly like when someone falls down; it develops over time from lengthy exposure to a variety of factors. Substandard ergonomics habits can cause musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) that affect soft tissues and the nervous system most often in the back and arms.
"Ergonomics can be defined simply as the study of work. More specifically, ergonomics is the science of designing the job to fit the worker, rather than physically forcing the worker's body to fit the job." (USDOL & OSHA, 2000, pg.1) Ergonomics starts with the design of each individual piece of equipment and each individual tool a sonographer will use throughout their day. It continues on to the employer to provide the most up to date ergonomically designed equipment available for their employees and training said employees on the company's, US Department of Labor, and OSHA regulations. And
…show more content…
"Pain is the most common symptom and may be accompanied by joint stiffness, redness or swelling, and/or muscle tightness. Numbness and tingling may also occur. "(Murphey, 2017, pg. 5) Many of these symptoms correlate to issues such as "sonographers shoulder", carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, and neck and back strains. Once a sonographer develops musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) they may no longer be able to work or accomplish unassuming respective routine tasks. "In sonography, workforce shortages can affect worker morale and patient access to care in addition to the physical health and well-being of staff." Murphey, 2017, pg.
In the case of nurse staffing, the more nurses there are the better outcome of patient safety. When there enough staff to handle the number of patients, there is a better quality of care that can be provided. The nurses would be able to focus on the patients, monitor the conditions closely, performs assessments as they should, and administer medications on time. There will be a reduction in errors, patient complications, mortality, nurse fatigue and nurse burnout (Curtan, 2016). While improving patient satisfaction and nurse job satisfaction. This allows the principle of non-maleficence, do no harm, to be carried out correctly. A study mentioned in Scientific America showed that after California passed a law in 2014 to regulate hospital staffing and set a minimum of nurse to patient ratios, there was an improvement in patient care. Including lower rates of post-surgery infection, falls and other micro emergencies in hospitals (Jacobson,
I have always been fascinated with the medical field ever since I was little, my first choice for electives were always health science and anatomy classes. After my cousin, Deanna, had her first child and receive her first ultrasound, I knew that was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. The ultrasound technician had made her feel so comforted and just made the entire experience enjoyable for everyone; I’m eager to be able to start my life with a job that I know I will love. Anytime that I meet someone who is in the field themselves, I always ask questions and listen to what they do throughout the day to get some real insight on what being a technician really entails.
...signed job, supported by a well-designed workplace and proper tools, allows the worker to avoid unnecessary motion of the neck, shoulders and upper limbs. Meaning the actual performance of the tasks depends on individuals. Make sure to always observe the workplace. If it looks like it’s an unfit workplace and you can easily get injured. Walk away. There is nothing better than to make sure that your job and health are okay when it comes to the workplace. Great ergonomics means great Workplace.
STEIN, F., SODERBACK, I., CUTLER, S., LARSON, B., 2006. Occupational therapy and ergonomics. Applying ergonomic principals to everyday occupation in the home and at work. London: Whurr Publishers.
According to the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, the career outlook for a diagnostic medical sonographer is expected to increase by as much as forty-four percent by the year 2020. Approximately 53,700 sonographers were employed in 2010, with an expectancy of an additional 23,400 by 2020. Information obtai...
"What Works: Healing the Healthcare Staffing Shortage." Modern Healthcare 37.29 (July 2007). ABI/INFORM. ProQuest. Ithaca Coll. Lib., Ithaca, NY. 2 Dec. 2007
Needleman, J., Buerhaus, P., PKankratz, V. S., Leibson, C. L., Stevens, S. R., & Harris, M. (2011). Nurse Staffing and Inpateint Hospital Mortality. The New England Journal of Medicine , 364, 1037-1045.
For a while, hospitals were cutting staff, using the IOM report in 1996 as evidence-based rese...
Anything from helping a patient discover an issue in their body to allow them to get proper treatment to seeing the smiling faces of a future parent as they see their unborn child can be extremely rewarding for an ultrasound technician. Many people want to choose the path of an ultrasound technician as their career path in life, but getting started can seem complicated. With some good planning and helpful tips, you can be well on your way to a great career as an ultrasound technician.
A career is a long time employment role which centers around the passion of ongoing goals that one wants to achieve.For my career, I will choose to become an Obstetric sonographer.Obstetric sonographers are people who perform ultrasounds on the pelvic region of female patients and fetuses.medical sonographers typically need to obtain an associate or bachelor's degree in sonography from a college or university. Basic skills that are required are to have solid technical skills for being able to function the equipment and getting practicable images, the physical skills of good hand-eye coordination to move appliances on the patient’s body in correlation to what appears on the screen, endurance to stand for long periods of time and the capacity
The current demand is high for sonographers throughout the United States and abroad. It has been shown that the demand for sonographers will continue to increase well into the future. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the employment in the field of Medical Sonography is predicted to grow 45.5% between 2010 and 2020. The growth is among the fastest rates in all healthcare jobs. As a result, as the demand grows for sonographers, so will the salaries (BLS). The attractive salaries and flexible work hours, as well as the diversity of options available and the lack of geographical limitations on employment opportunities, make Ultrasound an attractive career field (BLS). Most employers prefer to hire diagnostic imaging workers with professional certification. Also many insurance providers and Medicare pay for procedures, but only if certified. According to the BLS, Medical Sonography is on its list of the best jobs of 2013. Medical Sonographers can get promoted by certifying in more than one area in ultrasound or having more work of experience being promoted to a supervisor. Anywhere you go this job has a high demand and a fast rate. Due to population hospitals, facilities, or offices will always need medical
Without participating in a longitudinal study, it is difficult to truly assess the efficacy in mandating nurse staffing ratios. It is difficult to measure the benefits of mandated staffing due to numerous confounding variables. These confounding variables include the resources available at specific hospitals in addition to the populations that they serve. Hospital volume, RN job satisfaction and the relationship between physicians and nurses have also been shown to affect patient outcomes (Duval et al., 2007).
A., de Rijk, A., Van Hoof, E., & Donceel, P. 2011). The therapist has to assess the patient to see if they have a need for splints or supports which may benefit the patient and then step in to help design the specific assistive devices needed. It is the job of the occupational therapist to come up with plans to overcome the inconvenient limitations while still helping the patient to reduce strain and prevent further damage by teaching them techniques that will conserve their energy. There are a variety of different ways to make daily living much easier. The most crucial part of therapy is assessing the patient's environment. All the people, cultural conditions and physical objects that are around them, create their environment. The behavior and development of people is a direct result of the interaction between them and their surroundings. A patient's behavior is greatly affected when they are mismatched with their environment. A person's environment match is present when the person's level of competence matches the demands of the environment. Full participation by the patient is required to make it practicable. “The science and practice of occupational therapy are well suited to develop, refine, and test approaches to translate therapeutic gains into
Dind, A., Short, A., Ekholm, J., & Holdgate, A. (2011). The inaccuracy of automatic devices taking postural measurements in the emergency department. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 17, 525-533. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-172X.2011.01958.x
These articles have many similarities when discussing the issue of staffing shortages. For patients, their loved ones and the general population, they don’t understand the ramifications and strain that staffing shortages have on nurses. People expect and deserve complete, competent and safe care when they are patients. These articles bring to light all the struggles that nurses have to deal with. Nurses are fearful that they will make mistakes, will harm patients, and will harm themselves. (Bae, 2012; Erlen, 2001; Martin, 2015) Overtime can be overwhelming and exhausting, which can lead to errors being made. (Bae, 2012; Erlen, 2001) These articles perceive that it may be beneficial for nurses, patients, and healthcare facilities to decrease the nurse-to-patient ratio, however, this option is not always