Mapping the Clinical Competencies Required for Nurses to Use Point-of-Care Ultrasound: A Scoping Review

Background/Objectives: Point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) has been increasingly incorporated into nursing practice across diverse clinical settings. However, the absence of a clear, nursing-specific conceptualization of the clinical competencies required for its use continues to limit its safe and effective integration. This scoping review aimed to map and synthesize the clinical competencies required for nurses to use PoCUS and to examine how these competencies have been described and assessed in the literature. Methods: A scoping review was conducted in accordance with the JBI Collaboration methodology and reported according to the PRISMA-ScR guideline. The protocol was registered in the Open Science Framework. Searches were conducted on 9 April 2025 in PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library, and were complemented by gray literature searches in Google Scholar and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. Data synthesis was guided by Miller’s Pyramid of clinical competence. Results: A total of 2481 records were identified. After removal of 540 duplicates, 1941 records were screened. Of these, 128 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility and 28 studies were included in the final synthesis. Technical and procedural competencies predominated, particularly those related to image acquisition and ultrasound-guided interventions. By contrast, competencies associated with clinical reasoning, interpretive judgment, and autonomous decision-making were described inconsistently. Conclusions: Although PoCUS use by nurses is expanding, clinical competence development remains uneven and predominantly focused on technical proficiency. Nursing-specific frameworks, competency-based education, and validated assessment tools are essential to ensure the safe, ethical, and effective integration of PoCUS into clinical practice.