Sonographer Experiences of Interprofessional Ultrasound Education: A Qualitative Study.

Abstract

Introduction: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) technology has evolved rapidly and is being embraced by many health professionals as a valuable clinical tool. Sonographers are now teaching ultrasound skills to other health professionals in the clinical setting, including doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, and physiotherapists. The purpose of this study was to understand the breadth of the opportunities, transitions, and challenges experienced by sonographer educators navigating new interprofessional teaching roles.

Methods: Sonographers, who had participated in an initial phase Delphi study defining sonographer competencies in POCUS education, were invited to participate in a follow-up interview. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and the interview data were thematically analyzed to understand the experiences and perceptions of participants.

Results: Twenty sonographer educators were interviewed. Participants were clinically experienced sonographers from Australia and New Zealand with diverse professional experience in clinical teaching, university academic, ultrasound leadership, health management, and corporate roles. The transition to teaching interprofessional cohorts of learners in different clinical settings was substantial. The experiences of sonographers undertaking these new roles were described under the themes of "sonographer perceptions"; "educator knowledge"; "understanding learners"; "teaching dynamics"; and "ultrasound evolution."

Conclusion: This study is the first to describe the experiences of sonographers engaged in interprofessional POCUS teaching. The results provide insight into the training needs of sonographers in this emerging area and will be used to inform the development of continuing education resources.