Overview
This clinical unit will provide opportunities to apply and integrate both theoretical and practical knowledge, skills and professional behaviours in the clinical environment. In addition to the consolidation of skills in electrophysiological assessment, you will be exposed to a range of cardiovascular assessment techniques, including echocardiography. Using clinical cases you will analyse and reflect upon the information provided to produce provisional differential diagnoses and patient management plans within an ethical framework of best practice and patient safety. Behavioural aspects of professional practice are emphasised and you are expected to reflect on your own performance and exhibit the highest level of safe patient care. Critical appraisal of performance will enable you to advance your professional, technical and analytical skills in a work setting under qualified supervision.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Pre-requisites: ECHO12003 Principles of Cardiac Assessment and ECHO12004 Cardiac Assessment Skills 1 OR ECHO12008 Doppler Echocardiography and ECHO12007 Cardiac Rhythm Assessment. Both ECHO12003 Principles of Cardiac Assessment and ECHO12004 Cardiac Assessment Skills 1 OR ECHO12008 Doppler Echocardiography and ECHO12007 Cardiac Rhythm Assessment must have been successfully completed within the last twelve months. Should this time limit have elapsed the student must successfully complete one (or more) technical skill, professional behaviour and diagnostic knowledge-based assessment(s) (after completion of technical skill / knowledge revision). Details of this will be articulated in a learning contract created by the Head of Course or designate.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 3 - 2026
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
| Assessment Task | Part Weighting (% of assessment) |
Assessment Security Level | Gen AI Guidance Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Portfolio (Pass/Fail · 1 part ) | |||
| Part 1 – ECG Portfolio (Portfolio) | 100% | Medium | No Gen AI Use |
| 2. Online Quiz(zes) (Pass/Fail · 1 part ) | |||
| Part 1 – ECG Quiz(zes) (Online Quiz(zes)) | 100% | Low | No Gen AI Use |
| 3. Practical Assessment (Pass/Fail · 1 part ) | |||
| Part 1 – ECG Practical (Practical Assessment) | 100% | High | No Gen AI Use |
| 4. Practical Assessment (Pass/Fail · 1 part ) | |||
| Part 1 – ECHO Practical (Practical Assessment) | 100% | High | No Gen AI Use |
| 5. Performance (Pass/Fail · 1 part ) | |||
| Part 1 – Global Assessment of Professional Attributes (GAPA) (Performance) | 100% | High | No Gen AI Use |
| 6. Learning logs / diaries / Journal / log books (Pass/Fail · 1 part ) | |||
| Part 1 – Clinical Case Log Book (Learning logs / diaries / Journal / log books) | 100% | High | No Gen AI Use |
| 7. Professional Practice Placement (Pass/Fail · 1 part ) | |||
| Part 1 – Clinical Attendance Log Book (Professional Practice Placement) | 100% | High | No Gen AI Use |
Assessment Grading
This is a pass/fail (non-graded) unit. To pass the unit, you must pass all of the individual assessment tasks shown in the table above.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Academic Progression Policy and Procedure
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
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 Student feedback
A student suggested that having a chat forum to ask placement‑related questions and discuss tutorial topics would be helpful.
In future deliveries, the UC will provide students with additional reminders about existing chat forums, to encourage consistent communication and support throughout placement.
Feedback from Student feedback
Students reported that the tutorials were most helpful when they focused on practical and clinically relevant content. They also appreciated the additional guidance around assessments and support resolving any placement challenges as they arose.
The UC will continue to provide structured tutorials, to support learning, maintain engagement, and offer students a consistent space to raise and resolve placement‑related issues. Ensuring these sessions remain aligned with assessment outcomes and focused on practical needs will further strengthen student progress and overall satisfaction.
- Perform electrophysiological and echocardiographic assessment on the cardiovascular system
- Analyse and communicate the outcomes of cardiac assessment including consideration of quality assurance
- Apply professional behaviour consistent with safe practice
- Analyse, and critically reflect upon, clinical cases involving various cardiac assessment techniques
- Attend clinical placement as per external accreditation requirements (Australian Sonographer Accreditation Registry).
Linked to National and International Standards
1. ASAR Accreditation Standards for Cardiac Sonography - critical practice Unit 8 - Cardiac, Foundation units of competence 1 - 5.
2. European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging Core Syllabus.
3. American Registry for Cardiac Sonography Core Syllabus.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
|
1.
Assessment 1
(Pass/Fail)
Part 1 -
Portfolio
|
|||||
|
2.
Assessment 2
(Pass/Fail)
Part 1 -
Online Quiz(zes)
|
|||||
|
3.
Assessment 3
(Pass/Fail)
Part 1 -
Practical Assessment
|
|||||
|
4.
Assessment 4
(Pass/Fail)
Part 1 -
Practical Assessment
|
|||||
|
5.
Assessment 5
(Pass/Fail)
Part 1 -
Performance
|
|||||
|
6.
Assessment 6
(Pass/Fail)
Part 1 -
Learning logs / diaries / Journal / log books
|
|||||
|
7.
Assessment 7
(Pass/Fail)
Part 1 -
Professional Practice Placement
|
|||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Communication | |||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | |||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | |||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | |||||
| 5 - Team Work | |||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | |||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | |||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | |||||
| 10 - First Nations Knowledges | |||||
| 11 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||||
Textbooks
Echocardiography: The Normal Examination and Echocardiographic Measurements
- Edition: 3RD (2016)
- Authors: Bonita Anderson
- Echotext Pty Ltd
- Brisbane Brisbane , QLD , Australia
- ISBN: 9780992322212
- Binding: Hardcover
12-Lead ECG: The Art of Interpretation
- Edition: 2ND (2015)
- Authors: Garcia, Tomas B.,
- Jones & Bartlett Learning
- Burlington Burlington , United States
- ISBN: 9780763773519
- Binding: Paperback
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
