1.  Assignment Policies & Procedures

While at each clinical assignment, the sonographer is under the supervision of the clients’ personnel. During these assignments, it is imperative that you recognize and accept the clients’ legal, ethical and formal policies and procedures. The sonographer should follow these policies and procedures at all times.

As an Ultrasound Temp employee you are assisting the client in providing care and services to individuals who may be seriously ill or under stressful circumstances. Please remember that family members and friends often accompany patients, and that you should be conscious of their presence. If you have any questions as to how to deal with a patient or situation, ask the clinical assignment personnel for assistance.

Each Ultrasound Temp employee is responsible for becoming familiar with scanning protocols and sonographic equipment at each clinical assignment they are assigned to. You also are required to become familiar with the policy and procedure of each clinical assignment you are assigned to. This should include the following:

• Location of the crash cart
• Location of the nearest fire alarm
• Where the phones are located in the department and the phone numbers to call in case of a fire or patient emergency
• The location of the film processing area
• Universal precautions
• Infection control policies
• Other specific department policies and procedures

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2.  Rules and Guidelines

Here are a few rules and guidelines to follow when working with Ultrasound Temps, Inc. Please follow these simple guidelines EVERY time you work at a site:

• You are responsible for following through with all the duties at the site you are placed.
• Follow all of the rules and regulations of the site in a professional manner.
• Arrive 15 minutes early to insure that you have enough time to orient yourself to the site.
• In the event that you are running late always call the site that you are assigned to, and Ultrasound Temps, to notify us of your delay.
• Always notify the authorized supervisor of the ultrasound department at the site when you have arrived and when you are leaving at the end of the day.
• Contact Ultrasound Temps, Inc. in the event that a client or one of their affiliates expresses an interest in hiring you for any type of employment. It is a breach of your contract and the clients contract to discuss or except a position offered to you without going through Ultrasound Temps, Inc. Any breech of this agreement shall be settled by arbitration in accordance with the commercial arbitration rules of the American Arbitration Association.
• Minimize personal phone calls.
• Keep yourself busy in the event that you do not have any patients. Ask the supervisor if there is any other duties or tasks that you can perform while waiting for patients. Supervisors expect you to be part of their health team while you are working. If you read a book, write letters or make a personal phone call in between patients, please do so discreetly; out of the view of patients and only if there is absolutely no other duties or tasks to perform.
• Remember to leave the site clean and fully stocked before you leave for the day (i.e. restock all linens and supplies, refill all gel bottles, clean and wipe down ultrasound equipment and transducers, etc.).
• The authorized supervisor must sign your timecards. Unsigned time cards will have to be verified before you can be paid. Hold onto your timecard until the end of the week for a signature if you are returning to the site again in the same week. Use one timecard per site. Remember to leave the pink copy (Client Copy) at the site with authorized supervisor.
• Feel free to fax your timecard to Ultrasound Temps before you leave your site. Remember, the sooner Ultrasound Temps receives your timecard the sooner our payroll department can begin processing your paycheck. Always follow-up by sending the original signed timecard in the mail. Ultrasound Temps’ payroll is biweekly, the 1st and 3rd Monday of every month. We must receive your timecards no later then 2pm on the 1st and 3rd Monday of every month.

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3.  Helpful Hints For Temping

Follow the these steps every time you go to a site and you will reduce the stress that that often comes with working in new environments with new staff, doctors, policies, procedures and protocols.

• Introduce yourself to the contact person, scheduling staff, clinical staff and doctors.
• Review the ultrasound machine that you will be working on, become familiar with it, remember all machines may be a little different from site to site.
• Find out how your films will be processed or if they are electronically sent to the reading room.
• Find out where the reading room is and what doctors you will be working with for the day.
• Inquire about the departments paper trail (i.e. patient paperwork, patient charts, where old studies are kept, billing, coding, etc.) make sure you know what they expect you to complete.
• Find out where to pick up your outpatient and/or how to call for or where to pick up your inpatients.
• Make sure your room is fully stocked and that you know where your linen, gel, probe covers, etc. are stored.
• Review all of their ultrasound forms that you will be expected to complete (i.e. ob & carotid forms, etc.)
• Review what images and documentation are required of you to complete their examination scanning protocols. Always follow their scanning protocols.
• Communicate with Ultrasound Temps, Inc. any useful information that you think would be helpful for us to make the transition of a temporary sonographers visit to that site smoother.  The more information you share with us, the more “heads up” we can pass on to you before you work at a new facility with Ultrasound Temps.

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