In the early stages of your clinical experience, there are some things you can do that will greatly improve the outcome of the time you spend there.

Make a conscious effort to familiarize yourself with what is happening around in the department. Start by reading through the hospital’s and department’s policy and procedure manuals. These will provide a basic list of do’s and don’ts. But do not stop there. Actively observe the flow of the department. How are Sonographers notified that a patient has arrived and are ready to be scanned? What paperwork or computer work must be processed before and after a scan? How is the patient prepared for the exam? How does the Sonographer interact with the patient? How is the patient greeted? What questions does the Sonographer ask the patient? Are the exams presented to a radiologist or other interpreting physician before the patient leaves? If so, how are the exams presented to the interpreting physician? What types of questions does the interpreting physician usually ask of the Sonographer? What information does the Sonographer offer without being asked? What is the patient told, and how, and by whom? How do Sonographers interact with referring physicians, support staff, and other departments? What happens differently when a patient is an inpatient, an emergency department patient, or a labor and delivery patient? How are portable exams handled?

Be sure to follow a study all the way through the process, do not wait for the performing Sonographer to get the patient ready then only join them during the study. Be there and know the full process from beginning to end, all the way through to releasing the patient. If there are multiple Sonographers in the department, follow as many of them as possible. You will discover that each does things just a little bit different, and you will be able to decide what will work best for you, the patient, and the interpreting physician.

Also take notice of how different patient personality types are handled. How does each Sonographer handle difficult situations and difficult questions? Use the early time of your clinical experience, when you are likely to be following a Sonographer around, to benefit from the Sonographers experience in patient interaction. Chances are each has come up with certain words and phrases to handle questions that they are not able to answer in the way the patient wants them answered. Make note of this, which ways are effective, which ones are not.

In those first few days of your clinical you may not feel that you understand very much about the actual scanning. That is okay, it will come in time, but there is so much more going on around you that you can learn that is just as important.

After observing a few times, offer to do some of the preliminary work. That will go such a long way in becoming a part of the department. It is always so much appreciated to see students who are excited and willing. Establish yourself early as someone who gets up and gets things done. Be helpful. Be assertive. Sonographers do not like to have to ask you to do something, frankly it is easier for them to do it themselves, so take the initiative. Carry this attitude throughout your training and it will take you far.

Sit down with the clinical supervisor of your clinical site within the first few days of beginning your time there. Ask questions about what their expectation are of you. How much time should you spend observing others before you begin scanning yourself? Which procedures are you expected to scan first? Some supervisors will have very set ideas about these things, others may tell you they treat each student individually, deciding those things in time. Whatever their process and expectations, it is useful for you to know in advance.

It is also beneficial to establish a good relationship with this person early on. Let them get to know you. Tell them a little bit about yourself, it does not have to be anything too personal, just enough to let them know that you are very serious about your education.

Some clinical supervisors will set this meeting up automatically with each student, others will not. If they have not taken the initiative, do it yourself. Your clinical supervisor will be your best reference at the end of your education when you are looking for permanent employment. Establish a good working relationship with him or her early on and keep a good working relationship throughout. You may need to call on them for many years into the future.

If you visit several clinical sites during your training, follow these same steps with each one.