Introduction: The concept that job characteristics can have a profound impact on employee wellbeing has been well documented. This manuscript aims to highlight the job demands and resources experienced by Australian sonographers, and those resources perceived to be the most effective at improving workplace wellbeing. Methods: Utilising the Job Demands-Resources Model, a national survey was issued to Australian sonographers in both public and private clinical working environments. The quantitative and qualitative data collected were analysed using non-parametric tests of association as well as inductive coding of themes.
Results: Sixty-nine participants responded to the survey with 27 participants (39%) reporting moderate levels of job satisfaction. Workplace demands of unrealistic workloads, time pressures, and inadequate scheduled breaks were reported as the most frequently experienced demand by 67 participants (97%). Twenty-four participants (35%) reported no access to any form of resource or strategy for improving wellbeing in the workplace and a further nine indicated they utilised entirely self- driven resources. Workload reduction strategies were perceived to be the most consistently effective, yet were the least accessible strategy for sonographers. Other strategies including psychology sessions, physical therapies, and injury prevention were perceived to be more accessible, yet minimally effective.
Conclusion: New legislation in the management of psychosocial hazards at work is likely to generate positive changes. Further research establishing an acceptable workload for sonographers, introducing job crafting, and improving sonographer recognition would prove to be the most fruitful.

Reflection and reflective practice are strategies utilised on a daily basis by many healthcare professionals, particularly those in the caring professions such as nursing, psychology and social work. The benefits of reflective practice are well recognised as effective tools which promote self-care and self-awareness. Reflective practice can be based in the cognitive domain, focusing on the clinical and technical aspects of practice to promote professional learning. Reflective practice also encompass the affective domain in which thoughts, feelings and emotions are considered and critically analysed. Research into affective reflective practice in healthcare professionals has demonstrated clear benefits for maintaining personal well-being and promoting a greater understanding of patients needs, which in turn, can build empathy for patients whilst supporting healthcare professionals to avoid compassion fatigue and burnout.
This presentation will introduce the concepts of reflective practice, how reflective practice and reflective writing can enable sonographers to become more adaptive, more emotionally stable and more resilient in their day-to-day practice.

Introduction: The GOOSE framework is a novel, five-stage structured methodology designed to support the early phases of teaching and learning ultrasound. Developed to address challenges in practical ultrasound education, the framework provides a systematic approach that simplifies skill acquisition, reduces cognitive overload, and enhances learning outcomes. This presentation will explore the rationale behind the GOOSE framework, highlighting the key educational principles that guided its design. These include task deconstruction to break down complex processes into manageable components, cognitive load management to prevent learner overwhelm, and structured teaching methodologies to ensure consistent, repeatable learning experiences.
Methods:The five stages of the GOOSE framework—Get the window, Optimise the view, Optimise the image, Select the images, and Explain the findings—will be outlined, with a focus on the progressive skill-building embedded within each stage. Checklists associated with each phase will also be introduced, offering instructors a robust tool for assessment and feedback.
Results: Additionally, this presentation will discuss results observed in a private ultrasound education facility following the implementation of the GOOSE framework and compare them with previously published teaching methodologies. The use of a structured framework can accelerate learner outcomes, improve confidence in practical scanning, and enhanced understanding of core principles.
Conclusion: By providing a structured pathway for early ultrasound training, the GOOSE framework represents an innovative solution for educators and learners alike, bridging the gap between theory and practice in ultrasound education.

Introduction: Currently there is no Australasian sonography career framework. While a career framework describes sonographer career pathways this may have consequences on stakeholders such as the profession and patient. This work aimed to investigate both positive and negative impacts a career framework might have on Australasian medical or cardiac sonographers to predict potential outcomes.
Method: Between the years 2013-2024 a literature search was performed of grey and peer reviewed literature. A collaborative and reflexive triangulation of mined data with thematic analysis was performed by sonographer investigators.
Results: Stakeholders impacted by a career framework were 1. the individual sonographer, 2. the sonography profession and 3. the patient. Career pathways for medical and cardiac sonographers were organised into four groups: 1. general 2. specialist 3. non-clinical with sub-categories for researcher, educator, and management and leadership and 4. advanced sonographer practitioner (ASP).
Conclusion: Positive themes included an improvement in patient care by increasing diversity of sonographer roles, education, research and retention with a template for increased role extension/clinical responsibility. Negative themes included increased cost of additional education and insurance, sonographers reluctant to increase responsibility and the need for a framework to remain current.
Take home message: Development of an Australasian career framework could potentially reduce healthcare system costs by increasing sonographer productivity and improving patient care which would benefit the community. A sonographer career framework needs to consider both positive and negative impacts on sonographers and stakeholders and incorporate plans for future sonographer development which includes advanced practice.

Sonographer Burnout

Within what is now a very lengthy career I have observed pressure and stress levels within private sonography rise incrementally and relentlessly.
Also rising is the level of concern and complaint from sonographers about their perceived levels of stress, and regularly the term “burnout” is used.

Very rarely have we as a profession stopped to objectively examine this issue of workplace stress. Even less often have we stopped to consider what may be self-inflicted and how we compare to other professions, particularly in the health sector.

The author asks you to consider both the practical and equipment changes that have occurred as well as the quite seismic changes around reporting software.

It may be that we can view all these factors as externally applied pressures that have been essentially out of our control.

Is this true though?
How much, if any of the current workplace stress can be attributed to our own desire for ever increasing salaries and truncated seniority structures.

All this leads to the very obvious questions.
What can be done?
Are we willing as a profession to take the actions which may actually make a difference?

Introduction: It is an expectation that sonographers act professionally. However, there are no clear definitions of what professionalism within the sonography context looks like. To be established for sonography, the definition needs to be intrinsically generated from within the sonography profession.
Method: Using a social constructivist approach, an exploratory case study was used to understand the perceptions of sonography stakeholders around professionalism. Data were collected through five phases, and all qualitative data underwent reflexive thematic analysis.
Results: Data from focus groups, surveys, questionnaires, and interviews underwent analyses to generate themes and attributes of professionalism. The definition of sonography professionalism includes an overarching theme, Patient-centred care, with three subthemes: Who we are, our interactions with others, and what we do and know. Sixty attributes of professionalism are situated within the theme and subthemes.
Conclusion: A comprehensive definition for professionalism in sonography has been established, intrinsically generated from within the profession and contextualised through the use of in vivo quotes from participants. This can be used in conjunction with the Sonographer Competency Standards and Codes of Conduct to clarify expectations of sonography professionals and in the teaching of those entering the profession.
Take home message: Professionalism within the sonography profession remains a complex concept that has been defined from sonography stakeholder groups.

In the fast-paced and often high-pressure field of ultrasound, professionals regularly encounter challenging situations that involve staff, students, patients, and management. While these challenges can take many forms, the key to resolving them often lies in a few fundamental strategies.
This session will explore the essential communication techniques that are crucial for addressing difficult situations. Attendees will gain insights into the power of active listening, the importance of responding thoughtfully, and how patience plays a key role in defusing tense interactions. By learning to manage conversations without interrupting, especially when emotions are heightened, professionals can foster more effective and positive outcomes in any setting. Ultimately, this session will provide practical tools for navigating a range of challenging situations with confidence and professionalism.

Introduction: The landscape for data governance has changed rapidly over the last 5 years. The research sonographer should appreciate current policies and their implications for handling patient data. This knowledge can positively impact the comprehensiveness of ethics applications. Data policies to be aware of are: -My Health Records Act 20212, -Critical infrastructure act 2018, -2019 Sustainable Health Review,
-The ISO 27001 checklist
Methods: Managing data linkage in the ultrasound image will be explained. Data linkage consists of three components: identity data, service data, and additional information. By sticking to the separation principle, sonographers can access maximum benefit from these intellectual properties while protecting patient privacy. The separation principal facilitates FAIR use of patient data – Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable.
Results: My research application process will be used to illustrate where and how data policy affected my application. Data governance required multiple applications to:
-the Kids Telethon Institute for the bespoke data set, -The ORIGINS project for access to linked data in a single whole-of-investigation team repository, -HREC WASA for state-wide registration of project, -Ramsay Health Care data governance for approval to use data generated in a hospital Clinic, -Edith Cowan University Ethics approval to use human data for research.
Conclusion: Requesting ultrasound images for the purpose of research is a complex process. Appreciating the framework around data governance will make your applications more straightforward.
Take home message: Save precious time and energy by preparing for research applications with data governance in mind.