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Mapping the Clinical Competencies Required for Nurses to Use Point-of-Care Ultrasound: A Scoping Review
João Henrique Ribeiro Machado Silva1, Jennifer Midiani Gonella1, Marília Tomé Maia1
1Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing (EERP), University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto 14040-902, Brazil.
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 28, 2026
Summary
Nurses increasingly use point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS), but competency development is uneven. Focus remains on technical skills, hindering safe integration. Nursing-specific frameworks and education are crucial for effective PoCUS use.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Practice
- Medical Imaging
- Clinical Competency
Background:
- Point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) integration into nursing is growing across settings.
- Lack of nursing-specific conceptualization of PoCUS clinical competencies limits safe and effective use.
- Existing literature inconsistently describes and assesses these essential nursing competencies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To map and synthesize clinical competencies required for nurses using PoCUS.
- To examine how these competencies are described and assessed in nursing literature.
Main Methods:
- Scoping review following JBI Collaboration methodology and PRISMA-ScR guidelines.
- Searches across major databases (PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, Cochrane) and gray literature.
- Data synthesis guided by Miller's Pyramid of clinical competence.
Main Results:
- 28 studies included from 2481 records.
- Predominance of technical/procedural competencies (image acquisition, guided interventions).
- Inconsistent description of clinical reasoning, interpretive judgment, and autonomous decision-making competencies.
Conclusions:
- PoCUS use by nurses is expanding, but competence development is uneven and technically focused.
- Need for nursing-specific frameworks and competency-based education for safe PoCUS integration.
- Validated assessment tools are essential for effective and ethical PoCUS practice in nursing.
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