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Credit Programs

Sonography

Technical Standards

The technical standards reflect performance abilities that are necessary for a student to successfully complete the requirements of the Medical Sonography curriculum. It should be noted that, under the Americans with Disabilities Act, "A qualified person with a disability is one who can perform the essential function of a job with or without reasonable accommodation." Please read the standards carefully and seek clarification if necessary.*

According to the nature of the work required in Sonography, the student must be able to meet the following standards:

Technical standard
Examples
Physical ability
  • Lift and carry at least 30 pounds to safely transport and use ancillary aids when performing sonography procedures
  • Safely move standard wheelchairs and stretchers with patients from emergency or waiting areas to examining rooms and safely assist mobile patients from the stretcher or wheelchair to the examining table and back, without assistance
  • Safely move immobile patients from the stretcher to the examining table and back with assistance from department personnel
  • Demonstrate fine motor coordination/dexterity to be able to grasp, handle, hold, cut, push, pull and feel
  • Lift, manipulate and move patients as necessary for the performance of sonography procedures
  • Have full use of hands, wrists and shoulders and work standing 90% of the time
  • Reach and grasp overhead, in front of the body, to the sides and down
Visual ability
  • Read various sizes of print located on equipment and computers
  • Visually monitor patient for retention of correct position, correct breathing, motion or evidence of physical or emotional distress during the performances of sonography procedures, including in dimly-lighted environments and from across a room. Requirements for visual acuity are correctable vision to 20/40 in both eyes.
Cognitive ability
  • Monitor and evaluate patients' vital signs, including taking temperatures and reading standard thermometers, taking blood pressure and monitoring respiration and pulse rate
  • Ability to remember, recall and comprehend a large amount of information
Auditory ability
  • Monitor equipment and background sounds during equipment operation and report unusual or abnormal sounds to the appropriate person
  • Understand and correctly carry out oral instructions given by instructors and clinical personnel
Communication ability
  • Communicate clearly, both orally and in writing, with the patient, the patient's family, clinical personnel and others to obtain or disseminate information relevant to coursework, patient care and work duties
Critical thinking ability
  • Understand anatomy and associated pathology when performing sonography procedures
  • Correctly operate sonographic consoles and make necessary optimization techniques as needed for performance of exams
  • Follow the correct procedures in case of an emergency in the scanning area (contrast reactions, fire emergency, code blue, etc.)
  • Read and correctly carry out written instructions given on requisitions, treatment charts, notes and other records
  • Evaluate sonography images for technical quality, including visual perception of contrast, evidence of motion and evaluation of minute structural details for evidence of blur
Mental acuity and emotional stability
  • Demonstrate emotional stability and mental alertness in day-to-day interactions with patients, visitors, staff and peers in high-stress situations that occur in the imaging environment
  • Work in confined spaces such as assisting patients in a bathroom or working in an office with several people

*If a Sonography student believes that he or she cannot meet one or more of the standards without accommodation or modifications, the college must determine, on an individual basis, whether or not the necessary accommodations or modifications can be made reasonably.