Midwifery Ultrasound Essentials: POCUS for Midwives, OB-GYN Nurses, Physician Assistants by Janice Scharf

Not just for midwives… but Nurses, Physician Assistants and any Point of Care (POCUS) practitioners

This is the book you have been waiting for… this book was written for you, the Midwives, Nurses, and Physician Assistants in the Ob-Gyn practice.  This book is full of concise NEED TO KNOW information with practical, evidence-based material supported by lots of images and diagrams.

 In simple terms…  A picture is worth a thousand words, and not a truer statement has been said when it comes to diagnostic ultrasound. Many text try to describe techniques and findings with text, but our philosophy is to have as little words as possible with lots and lots of images. 

What we understand.

1. We understand that learning any new skill is a commitment of time and money. So, we have made this an effective need-to-know, not nice-to-know teaching tool. For example teaching only those elements of ultrasound physics that are essential to know to get the machine to work and to be able to interpret the images omitting all extraneous material If you can imagine taking a highlighter and using it to highlight the what you need to know in a traditional text book – we have done that for you.  
2. We understand what Point of Care (POCUS) means – a tool to be used at the bedside while assessing or managing a patient. POCUS for those unfamiliar with the term, is bedside ultrasound performed by a non-traditional user to answer a specific or ‘focused’ question.  For example, “What is the amount of amniotic fluid”.
3. We understand how ultrasound can impact your patients and practice – knowing that you approach the ultrasound scan with a specific question that you want answered.  This is NOT a book created for traditional sonographers doing comprehensive studies. You are not doing a comprehensive assessment.  That belongs in the Radiology or Maternal Fetal Medicine Departments.  
4. We understand what you need to perform an ultrasound as part of your practice. This book focuses exclusively on the key factors and information for Midwifery POCUS NOTto perform a formal study as is done in Radiology or Maternal Fetal Medicine by a registered Sonographer (which requires at a minimum of 2 years of intense training.)
5. We understand that you want to become a competent knowledgeable Midwife Sonographer as quickly as possible. Knowing the how and the whens of performing a POCUS exam is important to keep you and the patient safe – knowing when an exam is inconclusive rather than knowing if something is positive or negative.
6. We understand that many of you might like to become credentialled in Midwife Sonography and as such have included the content required by the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography ( ARDMS ) for this exam.