Title:Updates to nurse practitioner program

The Georgetown University School of Nursing recently incorporated a trailblazing point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) curriculum into the Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program (AG-ACNP).

One of the first programs of its kind, the new online courses will train nurse practitioners in the art of using a diagnostic tool in acute care.

“POCUS has traditionally been taught to medical school physicians but not extensively to nurse practitioner students,” says Catherine Tierney, AG-ACNP program director. “Our program has woven POCUS into our critical care courses to better prepare our AG-ACNP students for practice in the acute care setting.”

During each of the four AG-ACNP clinical courses, students complete POCUS teaching modules and study assigned cases using ultrasound simulator probes. Students also meet withinstructors in-person three times a year for objective clinical intensives at which they have the opportunity to practice ultrasound exams on standardized patients.

“Because it is portable and doesn’t require radiation, POCUS has the ability to transform care, allowing patients to quickly get information and treatment,” says Tierney. “It is particularly important in the acute care settings where our program educates nurse practitioners to work. This includes the hospital, emergency room, or urgent care, treating patients who are acutely and critically ill.”