Dissertation Abstract

Cardiac sonographer recruiting and retention

The shortage of healthcare professionals is a global crisis. The media draws our attention to this predicament by reporting on physician and nursing shortages, as these two groups are by far the largest and most discernible. The additional groups that deserve acknowledgment and attention are the paramedical healthcare professions.

The labour shortages confronting the individual professions and the collective paramedical careers are shocking. Factors contributing to waitlists include our aging population, underutilized equipment, and the subsequent demand by a health-conscious population. This increasing demand for advanced uses of technology such as echocardiography and the shortage of cardiac sonographers, is the focus of this study.

The use of qualitative action research and a national survey of the Professional Association for Canadian Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (CSDMS) give some insight into the current state of this profession.

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