Point of care ultrasound use by registered nurses and nurse practitioners in clinical practice : an integrative review

Background: Nurses and nurse practitioners (NPs) are utilising point of care ultrasound (PoCUS) in practice. PoCUS is a useful tool to enhance clinical assessments and improve patient care. There have been no published literature reviews on this topic. Aims: The objective of this review is to examine the literature on PoCUS and draw conclusions to determine the implications of the use of PoCUS by registered nurses and nurse practitioners to inform nursing practice. Design: Integrative review. Methods: Data bases MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and Google scholar were searched for relevant articles between 2008 and 2018. The inclusion criteria were registered nurses and nurse practitioners using PoCUS in their clinical practice. Articles retrieved were in English and with full text. Articles were assessed for quality using TREND and a PRISMA flowchart is presented. Findings: Six eligible articles were examined identifying major findings of education in PoCUS, accuracy and mastery of a skill and clinical influence. Discussion: An evaluation of the use of PoCUS by registered nurses and nurse practitioners provides evidence of its efficacy and potential to improve patient care and inform nursing practice. Conclusion: Some registered nurses and nurse practitioners are expanding their scope of practice to include PoCUS to improve patient care. PoCUS requires investment in time and education.