Career pathways for sonographers
THE SONOGRAPHY
discussions
Career pathways for sonographers The field of diagnostic medical sonography offers various opportunities, diverse career paths and potential growth areas beyond the traditional clinical pathway. Sonographers should feel empowered and confident to make informed decisions about their professional development, and that begins with understanding their career options. Career options available to sonographers may include further education, nonclinical roles, academia and other alternative employment options, each with its own unique potential. Dr Kerry Thoirs, Research and Standards Manager at Australasian Sonographers Association, shares her experience with further education and research and provides her view on how a career in academia can improve the standing of the sonography profession.
Dr Kerry Thoirs
Research and Standards Manager | Australasian Sonographers Association
Prior to her position as the Research and Standards Manager at the ASA, for over more than 35 years Kerry Thoirs has been involved in clinical practice, teaching in clinical and university settings (University of South Australia), and research. Research interests have included sonographic practice, teaching and professional issues.
What does a day in the life of a researcher or educator look like? I can only talk from the perspective of when I was employed at a university, with a role that included teaching and research. This type of role is very demanding, but also very rewarding. What I like about academia is the freedom to manage your own time. Except for scheduled meetings and scheduled teaching times, the rest is up to you when you do what is required of you. It is quite different to clinical work where you need to attend to patient lists that are scheduled for you. Time management can be challenging, but most academics will find a way to manage this. You might find periods where teaching is intensive, and there is not much time to do research, and you might be lucky enough to get some quarantined time to do research so that you can concentrate on that instead of teaching.
How does research improve the standing of the sonography profession?
and skills come from a recognised body of learning derived from research, education and training at a high level. Ongoing research is key as we must not fall into the trap of doing things a particular way because that is the way it has always been done. In the interests of our patients, we must question what we do, how we do it, and when we do it … nothing is off limits. Every question can be answered by undertaking research, whether that be referring to existing literature (secondary research) or undertaking primary research. If we are not performing research, we are not fulfilling our obligations as a profession collectively, and we cannot claim to be a profession of high standing.
What can organisations and employers do to assist their employees who are wanting to undertake research? The first step for organisations is to recognise the importance of research and the second step would be to support research in their organisations by quarantining time to undertake research. What I think would work well would be to have a dedicated position for a ‘research lead’. There is a growing number of sonographers with research degrees and they will not all get positions in academia. What a waste not to utilise this expertise in the clinical setting. I believe that research performed in a clinical setting can have relevant outcomes that translate into better services and patient experiences. A ‘research lead’ could manage research projects and provide mentorship. Benefits include increased funding opportunities, an improved research and workplace culture in the organisation, enhanced research and clinical skill development of staff, and increased professional development opportunities.
What steps would you recommend sonographers take if they are interested in research or education as a career path? Contact a university or universities. The role of universities is to educate and generate research and train researchers. In relation to education, universities do provide opportunities to ‘try before you buy’. There is often contract work available, which gives you a taste of teaching. And of course, let’s not forget clinical education, which is important. You can explore this in your own workplace and by talking to other clinical educators in other organisations. You might even consider doing a short course on clinical education. In relation to research, universities provide a training ground for researchers via research degrees, such as Master of Research and PhD. These degrees are ‘learning by doing’ and you will be closely supervised by experts in the field. If you are lucky enough to work in a clinical department where research is undertaken, then you might get a taste of what is involved in research before undertaking a research degree. •
A lot. For a profession to have a high standing it will be recognised by the public as its members having special knowledge and skills, but also, and importantly, that knowledge soundeffects news
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