Academic Catalog

DMS 50B: SONOGRAPHY & PATIENT CARE

Foothill College Course Outline of Record

Foothill College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Units: 2
Hours: 2 lecture per week (24 total per quarter)
Prerequisite: AHS 52 or equivalent medical terminology course.
Corequisite: DMS 50A, 60A and 72A.
Degree & Credit Status: Degree-Applicable Credit Course
Foothill GE: Non-GE
Transferable: CSU
Grade Type: Letter Grade Only
Repeatability: Not Repeatable

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Apply patient confidentiality/privacy as defined by HIPAA.
  • Demonstrate ethical &professional demeanor as outlined in the SDMS Code of Conduct.

Description

Defines the student sonographer's role on the medical team. It prepares the student to enter the clinical environment, including instruction in sonographer safety and ergonomics. Legal, ethical, legislative and regulatory issues, including scope of practice and standards. Patient care techniques, clinical assessment, diagnosis and treatment. Interacting with cultural, age, and the special needs populations. Professionalism, competency-based education and leadership. Intended for students in the Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program; enrollment is limited to students accepted in the program.

Course Objectives

The student will be able to:
A. recite the historical role of the sonographer and role of certifying/accrediting organization.
B. recite workplace safety issues and prevention of injury.
C. define the specifics of patient rights, including legal concepts.
D. define communication triads, to include the components of patient care.
E. define professional communication and how the health care professional responds to patient needs.
F. define ethical and professional values related to sonography and medicine and its impact on patient/workers from various cultures, ages, and special needs populations.
G. describe the differences between institutional and non-institutional settings and how they are different relevant to staff's interaction.
H. define professional development and one achieves it.
I. cite the expectations, responsibilities and rights when interacting with health care partners.

Course Content

A. Introduction to and history of medical sonography
1. Sonographer development
2. Qualities
3. Professional organizations/accrediting agencies
4. The Sonographer as a student
5. Classroom to clinical experience
6. Successful clinical rotations
B. Safety issues
1. MSI's
2. Ergonomics
C. Define the specifics of patient rights, including legal concepts
1. Governmental regulations
2. Forms of law
2. Malpractice
3. Serving as the witness
D. Patient-sonographer interaction: medical techniques and patient care
1. Patient rights
2. Patient care and comfort
3. Taking vital signs
4. Technique, positioning, routine duties
5. Transfer of patient from wheelchair, gurney, locks, lifting methods, while adhering to patient safety
6. Infection control and standard precautions while adhering to Universal Precautions, asepsis both medical and surgical techniques
7. Proper ability to work with IVs, catheters, sterile fields, while following procedures and protocols
8. Identify life threatening situations and implement emergency care
E. Communication and critical thinking skills
1. Patients with special problems
2. Professional communication
3. The grieving process
4. Provide for psychological support and anticipate the needs of the patient
5. Respond to parental need
F. Diversity and age
1. Ethical and legal considerations
2. Professionalism
G. Institutional, non-institutional settings and strategies
H. Professional development and leadership
I. Patient care partnership: understanding expectations, rights and responsibilities

Lab Content

Not applicable.

Special Facilities and/or Equipment

A. When taught via Foothill Global Access, on-going access to computer with email software and hardware; email address.

Method(s) of Evaluation

Methods of Evaluation may include but are not limited to the following:

A. Oral and practical, role playing
B. Demonstration of mastery of material by written quizzes and final exam
C. Online participation with assignments
D. Skills testing

Method(s) of Instruction

Methods of Instruction may include but are not limited to the following:

A. Lecture
B. Discussion
C. Electronic discussions and chat

Representative Text(s) and Other Materials

Craig, Marveen. Essentials of Sonography and Patient Care. 4th ed. St. Louis: Elsevier, 2018.

 

Types and/or Examples of Required Reading, Writing, and Outside of Class Assignments

A. Weekly reading assignments from the text - approximately 25 pages per week.

 

Discipline(s)

Diagnostic Medical Technology