Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia
Corso di laurea in infermieristica - Sede di Modena
| Thesis Title | Nursing ultrasound: fields of application in the nursing and decision-making process |
|---|---|
| Name | Di Franco Stefania |
| Supervisor(s) | Orlando Pantaleo, Girotti Simona |
| Academic Year | 2019/20 |
| Thesis type | Non research thesis |
Abstract
The purpose of this thesis is to identify the most important fields of application of nursing ultrasound and the way it contributes on the nursing and decision-making process. Nurse-performed ultrasound does not have a diagnostic purpose, it has an operational one instead: it is aimed at nursing care planning and the improvement of certain invasive procedures in order to reduce related complications and to ensure a better quality of the assistance provided. For the elaboration of the thesis scientific articles have been revised after a research in databases such as PubMed, CINAHL and Nursing Reference Centre Plus using the following keywords: ultasound, nurse, bladder, peripheral intravenous access, inferior vena cava. Furthermore, texbooks recommended by experts in the field have been consulted. Official websites have been researched including Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Ministero della Salute, Regione Emilia Romagna and World Health Organization, in order to access to useful informations. The thesis consist of five chapters. The first chapter provides a brief historical overview of the ultrasound development, from its birth till today. In chapter two basic physics of ultrasound imaging are described, in particular the interaction between ultrasounds and tissues and the formation of the ultrasound image. Furthermore, the components of the ultrasound device are introduce. Third chapter is about nursing applications of bladder ultrasound as a support for catheterization. The fourth chapter talks about ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous access, its benefits and positioning techniques. The last chapter, finally, concerns application of nursing ultrasound as a support to the triage process in order to assess bladder and inferior vena cava.