Find out how Nurses use Ultrasound for Essential Health Procedures
Nurses are an essential member of any healthcare team and in many cases the first-line of care. They are the eyes and ears for physicians and must balance a vast array of medical skills with compassion, multi-tasking and collaborating with other health professionals.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for registered nurses is projected to increase by 6% through to the year 2031. Those nurses who become more specialized may increase their chances of securing employment or rising up the ranks. One way in which they can increase their expertise is in sonography (performing ultrasounds), a practice that continuously increases in importance for both diagnosis and treatment.
Nurses may use sonography skills in hospitals, clinics or other healthcare facilities. Primarily they are trained to use ultrasound technology for limited obstetric (pregnancy) examinations and peripheral IV insertions.
Limited Obstetrical Ultrasound
Nurses that work in an obstetric or gynecologic (OB/GYN) healthcare setting, whether it is a pregnancy center, OB/GYN clinic, hospital or another setting, may be trained to perform limited obstetrical ultrasounds. A limited ultrasound differs from a basic or standard ultrasound (customarily performed during the second or third trimester) in that it only targets certain areas and thus is not a full exam.
The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) states that a limited exam may also be used to estimate the amount of amniotic fluid in the uterus and to evaluate the cervix.
One purpose of a limited obstetrical ultrasound may be in a pregnancy help center to help potential mothers make an informed decision once pregnancy is confirmed. The American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) adds, “A limited examination is performed when a specific question requires investigation. For example, a limited examination could be performed to confirm fetal heart activity in a bleeding patient or to verify fetal presentation in a laboring patient”.
Training Opportunities for Nurses
According to AWHONN’s guidelines, a nurse who wishes to perform ultrasounds in an OB/GYN setting must complete a relevant training course that includes at least 8 hours of didactic instruction followed by hands-on experience under clinical supervision. After the training, the nurses should be continuously monitored by qualified supervisors in their professional OB/GYN setting.
The Jefferson Ultrasound Research and Education Institute (Thomas Jefferson University) offers training courses in Limited Obstetric Ultrasound both at its home base in Philadelphia and “on the road” in various cities around the U.S.
You can also check to see if the colleges, universities and teaching hospitals or clinics in your local area offer limited ultrasound continuing education courses.
Ultrasound–Guided Peripheral IV Placement
A relatively new procedure in medical settings is to insert peripheral intravenous (PIV) catheters or lines using ultrasound technology as a guide. Using sonography to direct the process enables smoother PIV insertion in order to avoid possible complications and also facilitates the insertion when blood vessels are difficult to locate. Medscape adds that ultrasound-guided PIV placement also avoids potential complications associated with inserting a central IV line.
Nurses that are properly trained to perform ultrasound-guided PIV insertion may use this skill in a variety of settings, from emergency rooms to intensive care units. “In the emergency department, nurses use ultrasound daily to assist in difficult-to-start intravenous line placement.
Less reliance on physician-placed central lines, solely to establish access, has been shown to reduce the complications, such as infections that come from central line attempts,” states the University of California, Irvine’s School of Medicine. “Also, nurses in the various intensive care units use ultrasound to assess the bladder before placing a catheter to ensure adequate volume will be returned. Avoiding catheter placement when it is not needed avoids the infectious complications inherent in bladder catheterization”.
Like the University of California, Irvine, several universities or schools of medicine/health are now training nursing students how to perform ultrasound-guided PIV insertion. Some educational institutes may also offer continuing education courses that teach these particular sonography skills. Finally SonoSite, Inc. offers two-hour workshops entitled “Introduction to Ultrasound-Guided Peripheral IV Placement” in numerous cities across the country.
Ultrasound technology and techniques are continuously evolving and improving because they are seen as cost-effective, efficient and relatively non-invasive. As these procedures continue to develop, undoubtedly nurses will have the potential to acquire and practice even more ultrasound procedures.