Ultrasound Technician Job Description, Duties, and Responsibilities

This post provides detailed information on the ultrasound technician job description, including the key duties, tasks, and responsibilities they commonly perform.

It also highlights the major requirements you may be expected to fulfill to be hired for the ultrasound technician role by most employers/recruiters.

What Does an Ultrasound Technician Do?

An ultrasound technician (who is also referred to as a diagnostic medical sonographer) is responsible for operating ultrasound machines or sonography machines (machines used in capturing images of a patient’s internal organs).

The ultrasound technician job description normally involves operating ultrasound equipment in a medical facility or clinic. Put differently, an ultrasound technician is a medical assistant that is in charge of the operation and maintenance of an ultrasound machine in a given medical facility.

The major role of an ultrasound technician is to ease the work of a physician by carrying out preparatory functions before the doctor/physician commences treatment on a patient.

These functions basically entail the use of ultrasound machine(s) to capture images of organs within a patient’s body.

It is the duty of an ultrasound technician to lead the patient(s) to the treatment room and to also explain the entire image-capturing process to them beforehand.

After proper explanations and preparations, the technician then calls the physician to commence treatment.

Before the treatment of a patient commences, the technician cleans and makes sure that the ultrasound machine is in proper shape.

His/her work description also entails making sure that the machine after use is well organized.

In the case of serious machine faults, an expert is normally called in to fix it; but in general terms, it is the technician that sees to the routine maintenance of ultrasound machines.

After the image-capturing process by the ultrasound technician, it is the radiologist that determines if the image captured is clear enough to be used for the treatment procedure.

In a situation whereby the image is not clear enough, the ultrasound technician will have to re-do the image-capturing process until clarity is attained.

On the other hand, in a situation whereby the image captured is clear enough, the ultrasound technician (usually under the supervision of the radiologist) makes a brief summary of the type and/or content of images that were captured and also keeps proper record for the physician in charge.

It is also the responsibility of the technician to keep record of every patient’s ultrasound details like the content of images captured, the nature of treatment that was suggested and/or administered by the physician.

Ultrasound Technician Job Description Example/Sample/Template

Ultrasound technicians perform various functions in making sure that ultrasound image-capturing procedures/processes are carried out with little or no problems.

The job description below is a typical example of the kind of tasks, duties, and responsibilities commonly assigned to individuals who work as ultrasound technicians in most medical or health care facilities/settings:

• Position patients on examining tables and provide adequate protection based on already existing safety standards
• Perform calibration and adjustment of ultrasound devices in an appropriate manner
• Perform general/routine maintenance of ultrasound machines
• Keep record of images captured during ultrasound process
• Communicate effectively with patients during ultrasound processes.

Requirements – Skills, Abilities, and Knowledge – for the Role of an Ultrasound Technician

When hiring for the role of an ultrasound technician, most employers will expect you to meet the following requirements to qualify for an interview appointment:

• Must have excellent communication and interpersonal skills on all fronts
• Must be someone that pays keen attention to details at all times
• Must display a high level of flexibility in the process of carrying out duties. This may entail filling in for other colleagues in the face of tight schedules
• Must be willing and able to work as part of a team, usually under the guidance/supervision of a senior medical staff
• Must be able to work under little or no supervision
• Should be able to multi-task and also have excellent hand-eye coordination
• Must have an in-depth knowledge of human anatomy
• Must have a clear understanding of how to handle ultrasound and or sonography equipment
• A minimum of Associate or Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field
• Nothing less than 3 years of work experience as an ultrasound technician in a health facility
• Must have the necessary licenses and certifications to operate within a given area.

Conclusion

You will find the sample job description for the ultrasound technician position provided in this post helpful if you are an employer hiring for the role.

You will be able to produce a great and specific description for the ultrasound technician position in your health facility clearly by making use of the content of this post, and that will also boost your chances of getting the best-qualified persons applying for the job.

Individuals interested in a career in the field of sonography will also find this post helpful in learning about the duties and responsibilities that characterize the position of an ultrasound technician.