This graduate clinical unit builds on the skills, knowledge and attitudes developed during the Bachelor of Echocardiography and Cardiac Physiology. You will perform diagnostic cardiac ultrasound and other cardiac assessment and analyse the outcomes to to meet the professions Competency Standards for the Entry-Level Cardiac Sonographer. You will evaluate clinical findings to formulate a differential diagnosis and initiate further investigation within an ethical framework of best practice and patient safety. You will apply appropriate professional and interpersonal skills to echocardiographic practice in accordance with CQUniversity postgraduate attributes and requirements for external professional accreditation. Critical appraisal of performance will enable you to advance your professional, technical and analytical skills in a work setting under qualified supervision.

Each 18-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 37.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 450 hours for the unit.

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Feedback from SUTE and email communications.

Students felt supported in their placement experience, with positive feedback given to the unit coordinator, supporting unit coordinator and the WIL team.

Pastoral care will continue to be a focus in future deliveries.

Feedback from Face-to-face and email communications.

Students are aware of assessment requirements in other (post-graduate) Echocardiography courses within Australia. The main point of difference, from a student's perspective, is the approach to the final OSCE assessment. Other institutions allow remote recordings of assessments to take place, supervised at the student's placement site.

The viability and academic robustness of a remote OSCE assessment will be explored.