One perspective in any medical program that is never dealt with enough is how to deal with sick and emotional people. We teach about diseases, disease processes, symptoms, syndromes, diagnosis and the like, but we talk very little about the people behind those diseases, disease processes, syndromes, symptoms, and diagnosis. Those are the people Sonographers face every day. Many believe before going into Ultrasound that it is a field that is somewhat sheltered from the bad, that we deal only with the good and happy side of medicine, but that is just not true. It is true that if one scans a lot of obstetrics in our practice, there is more balance between positive and negative outcomes. But no matter what exams you are doing in your practice, you will still be exposed to unfavorable outcomes. It is also believed that by working in an outpatient setting, one will not have to encounter the extremely ill. This also is not true. As our society is becoming more and more geared toward treating illness in the outpatient setting, Sonographers encounter these people more often outside of a hospital than ever was the case in the past.

Our patients are scared, sad, happy, anxious, exhausted, fed up, and a whole range of other emotions. Some are sick beyond our comprehension and have been dealing with an illness for an extended period. Some are simply in pain, sometimes extreme pain. Some are newly diagnosed with a debilitating disease and are still trying to process that information. Some have not yet been diagnosed and are looking to the Sonographer for an answer, some are beyond scared as to what that answer will be. Some patients may seem unreasonable in their actions and words, sometimes taking out on the Sonographer what they cannot on those closest to them. Still others are so excited to be in the Ultrasound suite that they have brought a whole family to share in that moment, and then find out all is not right. It is easy to think that  since Sonographers are not responsible for telling patients anything about their condition, or responsible for their care, that we may hide behind that fact and not have to deal with the ugly stuff. But that is not the way it works in the real world of medicine.

Performing an Ultrasound is an extremely intimate experience for both the Sonographer and the patient, more so than any other imaging procedure. The Sonographer and the patient are often alone in a small dark quiet room. The Sonographer is looking at a screen that is providing them, at least in the mind of the patient, an insight not just into their body but their future as well, sometimes their mortality. Sometimes patients will tell you things they have never told another living soul.

These are scenarios that every Sonographer encounters on a daily basis. Knowing this ahead of time and preparing yourself is essential to being successful.