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POCUS Essentials for the Physical Therapist
Stephen Ramsey
PT, DPT, CCS
Point-of-care ultrasound is no longer a physician-only skill — and the physical therapists who learn it early will practice at a level most clinicians never reach.
POCUS Essentials is a foundational course designed specifically for PTs who want to integrate diagnostic ultrasound into everyday clinical practice. No radiology background required. No prior ultrasound experience needed. Just a clear, structured path from zero to confident.
What you’ll learn: Ultrasound Fundamentals Understand how ultrasound works, how to operate the machine, and how to optimize your image — the building blocks every clinician needs before touching a probe.
Cardiac POCUS Identify basic cardiac structures, assess function at a glance, and recognize findings that should change your clinical decision-making.
Pulmonary POCUS Evaluate lung sliding, identify pleural effusion, and detect consolidation — skills that are immediately applicable in acute and critical care settings.
Musculoskeletal POCUS Visualize the shoulder, knee, and surrounding structures in real time. Improve the accuracy of your screen, guide your interventions, and document what you find.
Who this is for: Point-of-care ultrasound is no longer a physician-only skill — and the physical therapists who learn it early will practice at a level most clinicians never reach. POCUS Essentials is a foundational course designed specifically for PTs who want to integrate diagnostic ultrasound into everyday clinical practice. No radiology background required. No prior ultrasound experience needed. Just a clear, structured path from zero to confident.
What you’ll learn: Ultrasound Fundamentals Understand how ultrasound works, how to operate the machine, and how to optimize your image — the building blocks every clinician needs before touching a probe.
Cardiac POCUS Identify basic cardiac structures, assess function at a glance, and recognize findings that should change your clinical decision-making.
Pulmonary POCUS Evaluate lung sliding, identify pleural effusion, and detect consolidation — skills that are immediately applicable in acute and critical care settings.
Musculoskeletal POCUS Visualize the shoulder, knee, and surrounding structures in real time. Improve the accuracy of your screen, guide your interventions, and document what you find.
Who this is for: Point-of-care ultrasound is no longer a physician-only skill — and the physical therapists who learn it early will practice at a level most clinicians never reach. POCUS Essentials is a foundational course designed specifically for PTs who want to integrate diagnostic ultrasound into everyday clinical practice. No radiology background required. No prior ultrasound experience needed. Just a clear, structured path from zero to confident.
Course Overview: POCUS for the Critical Care Provider
Module 1: Role of Ultrasound, Terminology, and Workflow IntegrationSection II: Shoulder
- Role of ultrasound in physiologic assessment
- Key terminology and interpretation principles
- Clinical decision-making framework
- Integration into bedside workflow
Module 2: Diaphragm and Lung Ultrasound
Module 3: Inferior Vena Cava and Volume StatusPractical approach
- IVC anatomy and imaging
- Collapsibility and distensibility
- Volume status interpretation
Module 4: Cardiac Ultrasound Fundamentals
Parasternal short axis
Parasternal Long Axis
Apical four chamber
Subcostal view
Parasternal Long Axis
Apical four chamber
Subcostal view
- LV and RV function assessment
- EPSS, FS, TAPSE, TV Free Wall s’
- RV:LV ratio (Apical 4 chamber)
- Septal position and pericardial effusion
- D-sign (PSAX)
- Tamponade
Module 5A: Mechanical Circulatory Support Assessment (LVAD and Impella)For your career
LVAD/Impella Assessment
Clinical application:
- LV size and preload assessment
- RV function and interventricular dependence
- Septal position and suction risk
- Volume status integration
- LV unloading assessment
- RV limitation identification
- Septal position interpretation
Clinical application:
- Physiologic implication
- Identifying mobilization risk
- Interpreting physiologic limitations
Module 5B: Cardiopulmonary and MCS Clinical Integration Lab
- Obtaining cardiac views in supine then sitting
- Case-based interpretation
- Integration of lung, diaphragm, cardiac, IVC, and MCS findings
Module 6: DVT/AAA/Peripheral Arterial Flow (FMD)
DVT
Aorta
Peripheral Arterial
- Venous anatomy
- Compression ultrasound technique
Aorta
- Aorta Anatomy
- AAA
Peripheral Arterial
- Velocity
- Diameter
- FMD
Module 7: Clinical integration through Cases and Open LabUnique Learning Paths
- Cardiac, IVC, Lung/Diaphragm, DVT, AAA integration and clinical reasoning
Module 8: Muscle Ultrasound FundamentalsVideo Conferencing
- Muscle thickness
- Cross-sectional area
- Echo intensity
- Muscle architecture
- Clinical implications in critical illness
Module 9: Muscle Ultrasound Clinical Integration Lab
- Interpretation of muscle changes
- Longitudinal monitoring
- Clinical application cases
Module 10: Implementation and Competency DevelopmentGlobally oriented
- Clinical implementation strategies
- Documentation/Billing
- Workflow integration
- Competency development
Why this course...
Every module was developed by a practicing clinician who uses these skills at the bedside — not adapted from a physician curriculum and handed to PTs as an afterthought. This course is built for how PTs think, what PTs treat, and where PTs practice.
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