“Now,” she says “I can’t picture my life any differently.” Today, Haley Nelson is a diagnostic medical sonographer, administering ultrasounds at MelroseWakefield Hospital and Lowell General Hospital.
For Nelson, this isn’t just a job — it’s something of a second home, where she feels valued, appreciated and encouraged to grow professionally.
I look forward to seeing my coworkers when I come to work. And I look forward to helping provide important information that ultimately helps patients. I like knowing that every day I come to work, I will make a difference in someone’s life.
Haley Nelson, Diagnostic Medical Sonographer
Nelson was in college, leaning toward a track in early childhood education at Middlesex Community College, when someone first mentioned the ultrasound program to her. While Nelson had never aspired to work in medicine or biomed, she always knew she wanted to help people and imaging sounded fascinating. “I wasn’t dead-set on pursuing a career in education, so when I heard about this opportunity in sonography, it was interesting to me,” says Nelson. “I had no prior knowledge about the field, but I applied to be a radiology receptionist, the person who works the front desk and checks patients in, just to get my foot in the door.”
For two years, Nelson worked the front desk while going to school for classes in sonography. She got to witness firsthand many of the things her teachers and texts talked about in the classroom. She shadowed her coworkers, picked up the medical terminology, and got a real feeling for the technical aspects of the job, even learning to operate scanning equipment. What’s more, she was welcomed by her colleagues and her employers with open arms. The whole team, from co-workers to administration, was dedicated to her success and advancement.
“My managers were really eager for me to be there and wanted me to stay,” says Nelson. “They invested in me and did everything in their power to make me feel comfortable and make me want to work here.”
When she graduated in 2022, Nelson transitioned into her new role at the hospital as a diagnostic sonographer, a job she still loves. “We are all in when it comes to our team members, says John Seccareccio, RT, Director of Radiology and Imaging Services at MelroseWakefield Hospital. “When you’re committed to every team member’s growth and learning, you see the difference—not just in our culture and how we work together, but in the care we’re able to provide our patients.
“My favorite part of my role is how much I know I am making a difference,” she says. “I feel that a lot of the time, imaging is overlooked because everyone just thinks of healthcare as doctors and nurses. But without imaging and the findings we make and relay to the radiologist, doctors and nurses wouldn’t be able to provide the care that they do. We have to know what we are looking at so we know what to image next after making a significant finding. I think our role is just so important to provide information for patients’ course of care.” Nelson says that since joining the team at Tufts Medicine, she has felt like more than a medical professional and part of a team — she’s part of a family. “This feels like a community hospital,” she says. “And it’s a great community to work with. They’ve helped me understand my job and grow.”
