In which stage of the nursing process is ultrasonography used?

Reflecting on the inclusion of ultrasound in the steps of the Nursing Process.

This theoretical-reflective essay explores the relationship between ultrasound and the Nursing Process, based on the NANDA standardized nursing language systems NANDA International, Nursing Interventions Classification and Nursing Outcomes Classification and the five-step model of the Nursing Process (Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation).

A hypothetical clinical case is used as a guiding thread for reflection, presenting two lines of argument: the inclusion of ultrasound in the assessment stage (physical examination), or in the planning and implementation stages of the Nursing Process. The representational ambiguity of the five-stage theoretical model is demonstrated, and the possibilities and consequences of including ultrasound in one or another stage of the Nursing Process are discussed.

Ultrasound challenges theoretical paradigms of the Nursing Process, and there is no definitive answer as to which stage it best fits into. Possible refinements to standardized nursing language systems are discussed, and further studies on the subject are suggested.