This study targets clinical nurses and nurse practitioners in Taiwan, with an anticipated sample size of approximately 1,000 participants. A cross-sectional survey design will be employed, using an electronic questionnaire to collect data on healthcare professionals' knowledge of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS), its clinical scope and frequency of use, attitudes toward its clinical application, and experiences with related education and training.
Upon completion of data collection, descriptive statistics will be used to present the current status of POCUS utilization. Additionally, differences in knowledge, attitudes, and usage patterns across participants with varying background characteristics will be compared to identify factors associated with the clinical implementation of POCUS.
Aged ≥20 years and able to read and understand Traditional Chinese.
Self-reported current clinical practice in Taiwan as a licensed registered nurse (RN) or nurse practitioner (NP).
Currently engaged in clinical work involving direct patient care, including but not limited to emergency departments, intensive care units, medical and surgical wards, operating rooms, anesthesia-related units, dialysis units, obstetrics and pediatrics, and outpatient settings.
Have read the electronic study information sheet and voluntarily provided informed consent by selecting "I agree to participate in this study" before completing the questionnaire.
Not currently involved in direct patient care, or primarily engaged in administrative, managerial, educational, or research administrative roles (e.g., nursing supervisors, education and training administrative staff).
Incomplete or inconsistent responses to key background information, rendering classification impossible.
Self-reported current clinical practice in Taiwan as a licensed registered nurse (RN) or nurse practitioner (NP).
Other
Cross-sectional
No intervention
Other interventionNo intervention
Knowledge of POCUS applications
This outcome measures participants' knowledge of clinical applications of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) using a structured questionnaire. The knowledge score is calculated as the total number of correct responses to multiple-choice items (range: 0-5). Higher scores indicate greater knowledge of POCUS applications.
Frequency of POCUS use
This outcome measures the frequency of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) use using a structured questionnaire. For each selected clinical application, participants report their average frequency of POCUS use based on predefined categories: occasional (\<2 times/week), sometimes (2-3 times/week), often (4-5 times/week), and almost daily (≥6 times/week). Responses are coded on a 4-point ordinal scale (1-4), where higher scores indicate more frequent use of POCUS. The overall frequency score is calculated as the average score across all selected items.
POCUS utilization behavior
This outcome measures participants' utilization of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) across clinical applications using a structured checklist questionnaire. Participants select all applicable POCUS uses in three domains: physical assessment, diagnostic evaluation, and procedural assistance. Each selected item is coded as 1 (yes) and non-selected items as 0 (no). Domain-specific scores are calculated as the sum of selected items within each domain, and a total utilization score is calculated by summing all selected items across domains (range: 0-18). Higher scores indicate broader utilization of POCUS in clinical practice.
Facilitating factors for POCUS use (multiple-response questionnaire)
This outcome measures perceived factors that facilitate the use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) using a structured questionnaire. Participants select all applicable factors, including equipment availability, training opportunities, mentorship, and institutional support. Each item is recorded as a binary variable (yes/no). The outcome is reported as the number and proportion of participants selecting each factor. A total facilitator count score is also calculated by summing the number of selected items (range: 0-5), where higher scores indicate more perceived facilitating factors.
Key facilitator and POCUS training exposure (categorical measures)
This outcome measures the primary factor influencing POCUS use and training exposure using a structured questionnaire. The primary facilitator is assessed as a single-choice categorical variable. Training exposure and resource availability are assessed using binary responses (yes/no), including prior hands-on POCUS training, availability of institutional training opportunities, and accessibility of educational resources. The outcome is reported as the distribution of responses (frequency and percentage) for each category.
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