An Analysis of the Current Status and Influencing Factors in Nurse Practitioners' and Nurses' Use of Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS)

This study targets clinical nurses and nurse practitioners in Taiwan, with an anticipated sample size of approximately 1,000 participants. A cross-sectional survey design will be employed, using an electronic questionnaire to collect data on healthcare professionals' knowledge of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), its clinical scope and frequency of use, attitudes toward its clinical application, and experiences with related education and training.

Upon completion of data collection, descriptive statistics will be used to present the current status of POCUS utilization. Additionally, differences in knowledge, attitudes, and usage patterns across participants with varying background characteristics will be compared to identify factors associated with the clinical implementation of POCUS.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Point-of-Care Ultrasound
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: No intervention

Detailed Description

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) refers to ultrasound examinations performed at the bedside by frontline healthcare providers to assist in clinical assessment and real-time decision-making. Compared with conventional ultrasound, POCUS is characterized by its immediacy, non-invasiveness, and portability, enabling the provision of real-time imaging information during patient care. As such, it has increasingly become an important tool for supporting initial clinical evaluation and patient status assessment.

International studies have demonstrated that registered nurses (RNs) and nurse practitioners (NPs), following appropriate training, are capable of applying POCUS in various clinical contexts, including vascular access localization, assessment of pleural or abdominal effusion, and focused assessment with sonography in trauma. In countries such as the United States, Canada, and parts of Europe, POCUS has been incorporated into advanced nursing education and progressively implemented across emergency, critical care, and community healthcare settings. Structured training programs and certification systems have also been established to support nurses in performing bedside assessments and responding promptly to clinical needs across diverse healthcare environments.

In contrast, the application of POCUS among nursing professionals in Taiwan remains at an early stage of development. Traditionally, ultrasound examinations have been primarily performed by physicians or specialized technicians. However, with the increasing availability of handheld ultrasound devices and the introduction of international practices, some healthcare institutions and academic programs in Taiwan have begun to integrate POCUS into nursing education and training. Examples include incorporating handheld ultrasound training into clinical teaching and organizing workshops that offer both basic and advanced courses. Nevertheless, there is currently a lack of comprehensive, nationwide data regarding nurses' knowledge, clinical utilization, and training experiences related to POCUS in Taiwan.

Accordingly, this study aims to conduct a nationwide cross-sectional survey to comprehensively investigate the current status of POCUS use among registered nurses and nurse practitioners in Taiwan. Specifically, the study will examine nurses' ability to recognize POCUS applications and their perceptions of POCUS as a supportive clinical tool, as well as the scope and frequency of its use in clinical practice and their experiences with related education and training, including accessibility to educational resources. Furthermore, this study will compare differences in knowledge, utilization, and perceptions across nurses with different background characteristics, such as years of experience, clinical settings, educational exposure, and professional roles, in order to identify factors associated with the clinical implementation of POCUS. The findings are expected to provide important implications for future nursing education and clinical practice development.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 1000

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Ming-zhi Chang; Phone Number: +886-953-989-035; Email: mlb92311@hotmail.com

Study Locations

• Taiwan
  • Taipei, Taiwan, 100
    • National Taiwan University, College of Medicine, School of Nursing
    • Contact: Chia-hui Chen; Phone Number: 288438 +886-2-23123456; Email: cherylchen@ntu.edu.tw

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Self-reported current clinical practice in Taiwan as a licensed registered nurse (RN) or nurse practitioner (NP).

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Aged ≥20 years and able to read and understand Traditional Chinese.
2. Self-reported current clinical practice in Taiwan as a licensed registered nurse (RN) or nurse practitioner (NP).
3. Currently engaged in clinical work involving direct patient care, including but not limited to emergency departments, intensive care units, medical and surgical wards, operating rooms, anesthesia-related units, dialysis units, obstetrics and pediatrics, and outpatient settings.
4. Have read the electronic study information sheet and voluntarily provided informed consent by selecting "I agree to participate in this study" before completing the questionnaire.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Not currently involved in direct patient care, or primarily engaged in administrative, managerial, educational, or research administrative roles (e.g., nursing supervisors, education and training administrative staff).
2. Incomplete or inconsistent responses to key background information, rendering classification impossible.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Nurse Practitioners and Nurses	Other: No intervention; No intervention

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Knowledge of POCUS applications	This outcome measures participants' knowledge of clinical applications of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) using a structured questionnaire. The knowledge score is calculated as the total number of correct responses to multiple-choice items (range: 0-5). Higher scores indicate greater knowledge of POCUS applications.	At baseline (single time point, upon survey completion)
Frequency of POCUS use	This outcome measures the frequency of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) use using a structured questionnaire. For each selected clinical application, participants report their average frequency of POCUS use based on predefined categories: occasional (<2 times/week), sometimes (2-3 times/week), often (4-5 times/week), and almost daily (≥6 times/week). Responses are coded on a 4-point ordinal scale (1-4), where higher scores indicate more frequent use of POCUS. The overall frequency score is calculated as the average score across all selected items.	At baseline (single time point, upon survey completion)
POCUS utilization behavior	This outcome measures participants' utilization of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) across clinical applications using a structured checklist questionnaire. Participants select all applicable POCUS uses in three domains: physical assessment, diagnostic evaluation, and procedural assistance. Each selected item is coded as 1 (yes) and non-selected items as 0 (no). Domain-specific scores are calculated as the sum of selected items within each domain, and a total utilization score is calculated by summing all selected items across domains (range: 0-18). Higher scores indicate broader utilization of POCUS in clinical practice.	At baseline (single time point, upon survey completion)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Facilitating factors for POCUS use (multiple-response questionnaire)	This outcome measures perceived factors that facilitate the use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) using a structured questionnaire. Participants select all applicable factors, including equipment availability, training opportunities, mentorship, and institutional support. Each item is recorded as a binary variable (yes/no). The outcome is reported as the number and proportion of participants selecting each factor. A total facilitator count score is also calculated by summing the number of selected items (range: 0-5), where higher scores indicate more perceived facilitating factors.	At baseline (single time point, upon survey completion)
Key facilitator and POCUS training exposure (categorical measures)	This outcome measures the primary factor influencing POCUS use and training exposure using a structured questionnaire. The primary facilitator is assessed as a single-choice categorical variable. Training exposure and resource availability are assessed using binary responses (yes/no), including prior hands-on POCUS training, availability of institutional training opportunities, and accessibility of educational resources. The outcome is reported as the distribution of responses (frequency and percentage) for each category.	At baseline (single time point, upon survey completion)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: National Taiwan University Hospital

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): April 7, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 18, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 26, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): April 1, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 1, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 26, 2026
• Last Verified: March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Point-of-Care Ultrasound; POCUS
• Other Study ID Numbers: 202602025RINC

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No