Contemporary health professions need clear professional foundations to ensure safe and effective sonographer practice while maintaining high standards of patient care. The ASA is developing a scope of practice for graduate sonographers and revising the Code of Conduct for Sonographers to reflect current health care standards, support regulation, and strengthen the profession. This session will provide an update on both initiatives, outlining key project steps, insights into significant findings, and anticipated outcomes.

Advanced MSK practice -my journey.
This presentation will outline the process I have undertaken in my pursuit of ultrasound-guided MSK injections. From the beginning, over a decade ago, to now. How I got started, the barriers and challenges, the education and training. Right through to the Qld Health application and subsequent approval to administer pharmaceuticals. And importantly, where we need to head as a profession to further expand this in the right way.

As we move toward self-regulation, every sonographer should consider their own scope of practice. If you’re attending this conference, you are likely a member of the ASA and an Accredited Medical Sonographer with a strong foundational skill set in sonography.
This talk will explore what it means to work within your scope of practice, the responsibilities it entails, and what the future may hold should we become a self-regulated profession.
The ASAR plays a crucial role in accrediting national programs that train medical sonographers. It also periodically reviews CPD programs to uphold professional standards. With the dedication of a governing board and countless volunteers, the ASAR helps our profession achieve key milestones on the path to greater professionalism.
Through this discussion, I aim to provide greater insight into ASAR’s role and its impact on sonographers who may not fully understand its significance.

The ASA has been pursuing AHPRA registration for sonographers in Australia for over a decade and met with continual resistance from governments. Undeterred by the state of political entropy relating to government regulation, the ASA has worked with a variety of stakeholders across the sector to raise professional standards in the current self-regulatory environment, including the development of a Scope of Practice for Sonographers, a revised Code of Conduct, and a suite of professional practice standards and guidelines for sonographers. This presentation will reflect on the current impasse regarding statutory regulation, opportunities for change with the recent Government reviews on scope of practice and regulation, and where the ASA can take a leadership role to support sonographers to deliver the highest standards of patient-centred contemporary healthcare.

Effective supervision is essential for supporting the workforce and ensuring the proper training of students within the profession. The ASA has developed a framework to standardise supervision practices and provide structured guidance to enhance the quality of sonography training. This lecture will outline the rationale behind this initiative, the steps undertaken, and the potential positive and negative impacts. Additionally, it will discuss the anticipated outcomes, challenges faced during implementation, and strategies for continuous improvement.