An Innovative Ultrasound-Guided Approach: Stimulating Student Query in Advanced Nursing Health Assessment

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Nursing
• Diagnostic Imaging

Background:

• Advanced practice nursing students require robust health-assessment skills.
• Traditional physical examination training may benefit from innovative pedagogical approaches.
• Integrating advanced technologies like ultrasound can enhance learning outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a novel ultrasound curriculum on advanced practice nursing students' health-assessment skills and confidence.
• To assess student perceptions of ultrasound's role in learning anatomy and physical examination techniques.
• To determine if ultrasound training significantly improves confidence in health assessment.

Main Methods:

• A curriculum incorporating ultrasound (US) for cardiac, pulmonary, and abdominal image acquisition and interpretation was developed.
• Eighty advanced practice nursing students (nurse anesthesia and family nurse practitioner programs) participated.
• Pre- and post-implementation surveys measured curriculum effectiveness and confidence levels.

Main Results:

• The US curriculum significantly improved students' understanding of anatomy (98.75%) and physical exam skills (97.4%).
• A statistically significant increase in confidence levels was observed post-curriculum implementation (P < .001).
• Students reported a more positive learning environment and enhanced skill acquisition through US technology.

Conclusions:

• Ultrasound integration is an effective strategy for enhancing health-assessment education in advanced practice nursing programs.
• The curriculum demonstrably improved students' anatomical knowledge and confidence in performing physical examinations.
• Ultrasound technology offers a valuable tool for improving the quality of patient-anesthesia provider interactions through enhanced assessment skills.