A day in the life of…Scott Hanton, Sonographer
Sonographers, also known as ultrasound practitioners, use high frequency sound waves to assess organs and structures within the body and to assist in the screening and diagnosis of a wide range of conditions.
Scott has been working for almost 10 years at our hospital, he was first a radiographer and became a sonographer in 2016.
“I saw sonography as the peak of imaging in terms of what I was able to do with my qualifications and I’ve always been interested in internal anatomy,” said Scott who works three 12 hours-long shifts each week.
Scott’s day is usually a mix of antenatal scanning and more general ultrasound of internal anatomy.
“Apart from the antenatal clinic I also work under Radiology, performing general, gynaecological and small parts scanning” added Scott.
“The antenatal clinic is usually very busy. I perform the12 and 20-weeks scans, along with third trimester growth scans, scanning between 12 to 15 patients every shift.
“The 12 weeks scan is a very emotional moment for parents as they see their baby for the first time.
“I always remind myself to stay measured and calm, check the baby’s heartbeat and then I start sharing more information with the patient and the partner.
“It’s very important to talk to parents during the scan and devote time to explain what they’re seeing – especially at the 20 weeks anatomy scan. What you don’t want is a quiet sonographer as it can cause parents anxiety: I work methodically, and I talk to parents about what I’m seeing.
“Antenatal scans are very important days in parents’ lives – it’s a big a deal and you need to act with care, empathy and compassion.
“I’ve done it many times, I’ve also scanned my second child, my daughter, and I know what’s going through the patients’ heads during those moments.
“It’s funny when I think about it: when I go to take my kids to school there are dozens of other children who I scanned here at the hospital.
“Sonography is a wide and varied field, and we don’t just scan babies. I also enjoy my work in Radiology where I have my own list of patients each day.
“There’s a very good level of autonomy in my work, as I perform the scans and write the reports for each patient.”
“It is an extremely interesting job, it is very flexible, and I learn new things all the time.”