This is a compulsory specialist module within the PgCert Cardiac Care and an option module within the MSc Healthcare Practice programme and the PGDip/MSc Advanced Clinical Practice programme. It may also be taken as a free-standing module. It can be taken as a free- standing module. The module is suitable for nurses and other registered healthcare professionals working with adult patients in a range of acute clinical settings including cardiology, cardiac surgery, pre-hospital and emergency care, intensive care and acute medicine. Successful completion of the module will enable the practitioner to effectively use cardiac monitoring to facilitate clinical assessment and deliver evidence-based care for adults with cardiac arrhythmias

 

Aims

The module will enable students to develop an understanding of the mechanisms of arrhythmias and the knowledge and skills required to deliver safe and effective evidence- based care for patients experiencing cardiac arrhythmias.

 

What and how you will learn on this module

 

How you will learn:

This module is delivered using a blended learning approach which integrates a variety of on-campus and online activities, supported by Canvas, the University’s virtual learning environment. A complementary range of activities are employed to engage you in the critical exploration of key topic areas, and the completion of formative tasks during the module also helps to keep you on track with the learning and gain feedback on your understanding of the content. A sense of community is developed and maintained with frequent opportunities for peer learning, enabling you to share your practice experiences and to learn from each other. Level 6 and level 7 students taking this module may be taught together.

Academic writing and critical thinking skills are developed through ‘The Critical Thinking Skills Toolkit’ and other academic practice activities embedded within the module, that have been designed to nurture the skills needed to facilitate you to become a thoughtful, objective and reasoned thinker. This will help you tackle the assignment(s) confidently, understand marking criteria, use evidence, take a reasoned approach, make structured arguments and engage with other points of view. 

 

What you will learn:

Cardiac anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology

• Conduction system and cardiac action potential

• Mechanisms of arrhythmias.

 

Cardiac monitoring

• Electrophysiology

• Setting up cardiac monitors and troubleshooting

• Effective monitoring

• Systematic rhythm assessment.

 

Recognition and care of the acutely unwell patient with arrhythmias

• Symptom recognition

• Accurate and effective cardiac monitoring

• Early identification of deterioration.

 

Recognition of arrhythmias and evidence-based care:

• Sinus rhythms and sinus node dysfunction

• Atrial arrhythmias

• Supraventricular arrhythmias

• Heart blocks

• Ventricular arrhythmias

• Cardiac arrest rhythms

• Long QT Syndrome.

 

Evidence-based investigations and therapeutic interventions including:

• Cardioversion, defibrillation

• Emergency pacing and permanent pacing

• Anti-arrhythmic drugs

• EPS and ablation.

 

Academic practice

• Database searching

• Referencing and avoiding plagiarism

• Critical Thinking Skills Toolkit.

 

Course length: 10 teaching days

 

Assessment

Exam (2 hours)