The role of nurse-performed ultrasound

The integration of point-of-care ultrasound into nursing practice represents a significant evolution in bedside assessment within acute care settings. This point of view highlights the clinical and organizational value of nurse-performed ultrasound through a representative case and a broader discussion of its implications. We describe a patient presenting with abdominal pain and distension in whom a trained emergency nurse, using a focused point-of-care ultrasound protocol, promptly identified acute urinary retention, leading to immediate treatment and rapid symptom resolution. This example illustrates how nurse-performed ultrasound can complement physician assessment, accelerate diagnosis, and optimize resource utilization, particularly during high workload periods or when access to traditional imaging is limited. Beyond bladder assessment, growing evidence supports the reliability and safety of nurse-performed ultrasound in targeted applications such as lung evaluation, deep vein thrombosis screening, and ultrasound-guided vascular access. When embedded within structured training programs, governance frameworks, and multidisciplinary collaboration, nurse-performed ultrasound enhances diagnostic immediacy without encroaching on physician-led decision-making. Rather than a task-shift, it should be viewed as a task-sharing model that strengthens team-based care. Expanding ultrasound competencies among nurses represents a pragmatic and evidence-based response to increasing clinical complexity in emergency and acute medical environments.