INSIGHT Training and Competency Programme
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Evaluation of a Point-of-Care Ultrasound Training Programme in Achieving Competency for ICU Nurse and Advanced Critical Care Practitioner Participants in a Whole-Body Ultrasound Scan
IRAS ID
279527
Contact name
Philip Hopkins
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College Hospital
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
n/a, n/a
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 29 days
Research summary
Ultrasound is a medical test that produces live pictures of the inside of the body using sound waves. A small probe is placed on the surface of the skin and can be used at the patient’s bedside to diagnose problems rapidly and guide treatments. Use at the bedside is known as point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) and is as accurate as other forms of imaging such as X-ray and CT scans. Routine use of PoCUS in the intensive care unit (ICU) reduces the need for other imaging, therefore reducing patient exposure to radiation and overall treatment costs. Training in PoCUS is designed for use by doctors, yet there are not enough doctors in ICU to perform PoCUS routinely. Advanced critical care practitioners (ACCPs) and ICU nurses can perform PoCUS scans as accurately as doctors. ACCPs are highly specialised healthcare professionals from nursing, paramedic, or physiotherapy backgrounds. Along with ICU nurses, ACCPs carry out advanced assessments and skilled procedures on patients in the ICU and are best placed to recognise any sudden deterioration in their patient’s condition. Providing ACCPs and ICU nurses with PoCUS skills increases the number of trained staff to perform routine PoCUS in the ICU. However, no whole-body PoCUS training programmes exist in the UK specifically for these healthcare professionals.
We plan to evaluate a training programme that involves performing whole-body PoCUS scans under supervision. We want to find out how long it takes each participant to competently perform simple ultrasound scans, and to interpret and report them both safely and accurately. We also want to establish how many ICU nurses and ACCPs achieve competency overall compared to the total number trained. This is the first step in a programme of research to discover whether routine ICU nurse and ACCP-led ultrasound can positively benefit ICU patients and reduce healthcare costs.
REC name
Wales REC 7
REC reference
21/WA/0259
Date of REC Opinion
10 Sep 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion