NSU Physician Assistant Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Initiative Faculty Training

Faculty and clinical support staff from all four Nova Southeastern University (NSU) physician assistant (PA) programs gathered in Orlando in early March for their annual clinical retreat. An exciting addition to this year’s gathering was a two-day point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) training session for PA faculty ultrasound coordinators. The session was taught by Rachel Krackov, Ph.D., MPAS, PA-C, RVS, director of PA POCUS education, and adjunct professor at NSU’s Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences. Attendees included Robert Bobilin, MS, MPAS, PA-C (Jacksonville Campus); Jonathan Caplan, MHA, PA-C (Orlando Campus); Nancy A. Cornett, PA-C (Fort Myers Campus); Watfa Krayssa, MMS, PA-C (Fort Lauderdale); and Victor Quinones MS, PA-C, EMT-P (Orlando Campus).
This session was part of an initiative led by William Marquardt, MA, PA-C Emeritus, DFAAPA, associate dean, to integrate POCUS into the PA curriculum at all four campuses. Research has demonstrated that clinician-performed ultrasound at the bedside increases diagnostic confidence, decreases treatment delays, and increases patient safety. Physicians have been using POCUS as an adjunct to physical exam for over 15 years. Currently 62% of medical schools include POCUS in their curricula and nine medical residencies require POCUS competence for graduation. PAs work in collaboration with physicians while performing many of the same duties. If the next generation of physicians is competent in POCUS, PA students have to be as well.
The PA POCUS initiative at NSU is one of the first programs in the country to integrate POCUS into the PA curriculum. It began at the Orlando Campus in 2016 with an introductory lecture and a 16-hour hands-on workshop during the didactic year and has expanded into the clinical year in 2018, achieving nearly complete vertical integration. This year marks the beginning of Stage 2: expansion to the other three programs beginning with faculty training and curriculum development. The goal is to have POCUS integrated into all NSU PA programs, which will result in approximately 250 PA graduates each year with basic POCUS skills ready to provide the most up-to-date patient care.