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Survey Update
The response to our Sonographer Symptom Survey has been tremendous, with over 2,700 completing the survey so far. Our goal is to reach 3,000 respondents. At the request of many of you who would like additional time to complete the survey, we are extending the deadline to:
March 14, 2008.
Don't miss an opportunity to participate in this important project.
Be sure to include your e-mail for a chance to win a video I-Pod.
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Rush Hour Chaos
 In New Mexico, 90 miles south of Albuquerque, is the village of San Antonio. It's really just a wide spot in the road on the way to someplace else and you could easily pass it by as you cruise up the interstate at 75 mph, but you would miss a truly remarkable place. Bordering the town is the 57,000 acre Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge parallels the Rio Grande River and is the winter home of 40,000 migrating snow geese, 12,000 sand hill cranes and thousands of other ducks, coyotes, deer and eagles. Every year the refuge, managers and local farmers grow crops in the adjacent fields and flood others. The birds spend their time commuting to the open fields in the day to feed and back to the flooded areas at night for protection from predators. The real show, however, starts just after sunrise. If you get there early enough, you will witness an event that few people will ever get to see. In those flooded fields will be tens of thousands of snow geese all waiting for whatever mystical signal tells them that it's time to head into the fields for another day of feeding. Once that signal is made - It's chaos, as they all scramble to take off at once with wings flapping and beaks honking. It's a sight and sound you will never forget. One has to wonder though how they ever make their way through all those feathers and noise. But somehow they do.
Watching this incredible sight made me think that chaos is all around us. It may be a spectacular event like the birds at the Bosque or the turmoil experienced in your department every day. Your schedule is full; add-ons keep coming; there are bedside exams to do; patients to move and a quick peek in the waiting room reveals the lightest person there at 300lbs.-UGH - CHAOS!
We can't eliminate the chaos but we can control how we react to it. Time is always critical, so plan and practice a routine for every exam and every room. How should the patient be positioned on the table? Are they close enough to avoid overreaching? Is the machine properly positioned? Is the monitor at eye level? Is the lighting correct? How high should the table be? Is my chair at the right height? Don't sacrifice your routine to save time!
Investing your time in making it right will pay dividends in the form of less pain and a longer career and just maybe, the chaos won't seem quite so bad. |
What's Your Sign?
Burning? Tingling?
Numbness? Throbbing?
Learning to recognize the early warning signs can go a long way in preventing injuries that could end your career prematurely.
Experts agree education is the key to preventing musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). Manufacturers will spend millions of dollars trying to incorporate the latest ergonomic designs into their equipment, management may be able to provide height adjustable tables, chairs and other tools, but all those bells and whistles will be worthless if the sonographers don't take personal responsibility for learning all they can about the ergonomic features of their equipment and how to use them.
"Ultimately, no one cares more about your safety and well-being than you".
So sit back and relax, class is now in session.
In May of 2003, The Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography hosted a conference on Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WRMSD) in Dallas, Texas. The goal of the conference was to develop risk-reducing industry standards that serve to address the multifaceted problem of WRMSD in sonography.
The industry standards were successfully written to encompass best practices for the prevention of WRMSD in sonography, including but not limited to
- Equipment design
- Workload/scheduling
- Facility design
- Education/training
SDMS applied for an alliance with OSHA, accompanied by a request that OSHA approve the industry standards. The alliance program between OSHA and SDMS was signed in October 2004, along with an OSHA approval of the industry standards for the Prevention of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders in Sonography.
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The Mission of Sound Ergonomics is to support the community of allied health professionals, and to develop and preserve the viability and safety of these professionals. |
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Join our forum
Join your colleagues in discussions about ergonomic issues. Share questions, ideas, problems or success stories.
Go to:
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Sale
15% off
+ Free shipping
Support cushions are designed to support the scanning arm of the ultrasound practitoners. Experts agree that prolonged abduction of the scanning arm contributes to the risk of work-related shoulder and neck injuries. These stackable multi-use cushions provide muscle recovery opportunities for the sonographer, or other professionals required to hold a fixed position during their work.
Sale ends
See details and video at:
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