From class notes to published author: A PBSC instructor revolutionizes the field of sonography
By: Ilene Greenfield
Inspired by the technology used when she was a young child in treatment, Palm Beach State College adjunct instructor Jenna Laquerre pursued her passion to become a sonographer with determination. She had been working at a pediatric institution and would be among the first students to take the American Registry for Diagnostic Sonography (ARDMS) Pediatric Sonography registry examination, in 2016. Passing the examination and becoming certified in this new pediatric specialty would be the gateway to advancing her employment in the field.
“At the time, ours was one of the first groups to sit for the registry examination and there were minimal dedicated resources,” said Laquerre. “We would prepare through lunch-and-learn sessions with the institution’s pediatric radiologists. I started a note binder and was first to sit for the registry examination and pass. After a while I thought, maybe I could turn these notes into a resource for other sonographers in the field. Life got busy, being a mom of two young children, but I buckled down and worked with a few radiologists and sonography experts in the field and submitted the work for publication. We do a lot of very specialized work for the pediatric population – which is different from adults – and there was not a whole lot of resources for training and reference out there.”
“Lange Review: The Fundamentals of Pediatric Sonography, A Registry Review and Protocol Guide” by Jenna Laquerre RT(R), RDMS (AB,OB/GYN, PS,BR), RVT, and published by McGraw-Hill Education, a leading global education company, is available as an eBook or in paperback on Amazon or at Barnes and Noble in April 2023.
Laquerre, who teaches sonography and radiography at Palm Beach State, explained that the new book is a registry review guide that can be used in class or as a reference in various settings for clinical work. “There are a lot of great review questions and detailed answer rationales throughout the book,” said Laquerre. Once the students review the normal anatomy and the protocol, they can implement the protocol at their clinical sites, which may be a little different. After learning the normal anatomy, they can learn what is abnormal, and test themselves.”
The Lange Review book features 500 diagnostic images and 200 review questions, complete with detailed answer rationales. According to the publisher, it is the only book on the market that incorporates educational content, sample sonographic protocols and an examination review. It is considered an essential resource for sonographers preparing for the ARDMS-PS registry exam, as well as professional sonographers looking to brush up on their skills, knowledge and insight.
