ArticleUltrasound (Leeds, England)2020
Sonographers' level of autonomy in communication in Australian obstetric settings: Does it affect their professional identity?
Article in Ultrasound (Leeds, England), 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.
- Adapting a communication coaching intervention for obstetric sonographers delivering unexpected news: A qualitative study.Ultrasound (Leeds, England) · 2023Article
- BMUS journal club on Twitter: An analysis of the first #BMUS_JC discussions.Ultrasound (Leeds, England) · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionUnlike the United Kingdom, policies in Australia prevent sonographers from exercising autonomy in their level of communication with pregnant patients in the event of adverse findings. The organisational structure makes the sonographer dependent on the sonologist because sonographers do not have the authority to provide the official report. The emotional labour on sonographers is increased as they struggle to provide patient-centred care, given the limits put on their communication during the ultrasound examination. The aim of this study was to explore Australian sonographers' views on communicating adverse findings, including their level of autonomy in communicating with patients and how this influences their sense of professional identity.
methodsFollowing a national survey, seven purposively selected participants, who were qualified to perform obstetric ultrasound examinations, completed follow-up interviews. The interviews were thematically analysed with iterative comparison to the survey results. Three case studies show sonographers differed in their 'communicator type' due to geographical location and workplace setting.
resultsThe case studies illustrate a sonographer's communication role, and level of autonomy is negotiated/renegotiated depending on the needs and expectations of each workplace. Their communication practices varied due to the sonologist (radiologist/obstetrician) policy on sonographer/patient communication, presence and support in the clinical setting. A strong professional identity and level of autonomy came from the construction of attributes that were built over time based on multiple factors, including previous experience, geographical location, critical incidents, training and supportive work environments.
conclusionThe sonography profession demands autonomy and a strong professional identity free of hierarchical barriers within a collaborative model of care.
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