Abstract
BackgroundThe current nursing standard for assessment of injured pregnant patients ≥12 weeks presenting to the emergency department (ED) includes obtaining an auditory fetal heart rate (FHR) measurement using a handheld Doppler (HHD). If the audible lower maternal heart rate is mistakenly determined as the FHR, the misidentified rate can cause false concern for fetal distress. PurposeA feasibility study was performed to investigate if nurses could accurately determine FHRs using point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS). MethodsNurses completed a self-paced learning module along with 2-hour hands-on simulation to determine FHRs using POCUS. Competency achievement was determined by ED physician clinical supervision on pregnant patients ≥8 weeks presenting to the ED between May 9 to November 29, 2022. FindingsEight of 11 nurses achieved competency. DiscussionThe participants had mixed reviews on using POCUS but favored POCUS over the HHD for reliability of locating and determining the FHR.
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