Overview
Accurate assessment of cardiac function requires you to assemble a comprehensive knowledge of the anatomy, physiology, and ultrasonic appearance of the heart, lungs and surrounding structures. By studying concepts of general pathology, cardiac structure and function, thoracic anatomy and physiology in this unit, you will gain the necessary knowledge to underpin your studies in the Graduate Diploma of Cardiac Ultrasound. This unit will build on introductory knowledge, through the discussion of signs and symptoms of cardiac disease, cardiac auscultation, and the application and interpretation of other diagnostic procedures such as an electrocardiogram (ECG). Through attendance at an intensive on-campus scanning workshop, you will be provided with theoretical knowledge and practical skills regarding echocardiographic image acquisition and scanning techniques for the adult heart, including the application of M-mode, spectral and colour Doppler.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Pre-requisite: Enrolment in CL74 Graduate Diploma of Cardiac Ultrasound
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 1 - 2021
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).
Residential Schools
This unit has a Compulsory Residential School for distance mode students and the details are:
Click here to see your Residential School Timetable.
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Postgraduate 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 Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
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
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and 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 Moodle unit evaluation.
Resources are abundant. Lecturers are helpful and do their best to guide you through what you need to learn more about.
The provision of adequate learning resources to support a variety of student learning styles will be continued, in conjunction with clear weekly learning objectives.
- Describe the anatomy, physiology and spatial relationship of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems
- Discuss concepts of general pathology, signs and symptoms of cardiac disease, including the application of cardiac auscultation
- Identify and differentiate between anatomical structures on medical images of the cardiovascular system
- Discuss and demonstrate echocardiographic window acquisition including scanning technique and image optimisation
- Discuss and demonstrate professional behaviour and communication skills consistent with safe and ethical practice
- Identify basic cardiac rhythm anomalies using electrocardiographic data.
Linked to the Australian Sonographers Accreditation Registry (ASAR) Accreditation Standards for Cardiac Sonography:
Foundation Units of Competence
- Unit 1: Deliver safe, patient centred service
- Unit 2: Practice within professional and ethical frameworks
- Unit 3: Locate, analyse and synthesise information to support evidence based practice
- Unit 4: Contribute to workplace health and safety and quality assurance
- Unit 5: Communicate effectively
Critical Practice Unit of Competence
-
Unit 8: Cardiac
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 40% | ||||||
2 - Practical Assessment - 0% | ||||||
3 - Online Test - 60% |
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
1 - Knowledge | ||||||
2 - Communication | ||||||
3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills | ||||||
4 - Research | ||||||
5 - Self-management | ||||||
6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | ||||||
7 - Leadership | ||||||
8 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures |
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 40% | ||||||||
2 - Practical Assessment - 0% | ||||||||
3 - Online Test - 60% |
Textbooks
A Sonographer’s Guide to the Assessment of Heart Disease
Edition: 1st (2016)
Authors: Bonita Anderson
Echotext
Brisbane Brisbane , QLD , Australia
ISBN: 978-0-9923222-0-5
Binding: Hardcover
Echocardiography: The Normal Examination and Echocardiographic Measurements
Edition: 3rd (2017)
Authors: Bonita Anderson
Echotext
Brisbane Brisbane , QLD , Australia
ISBN: 978-0-9923222-1-2
Binding: Hardcover
Hardback Robbins Basic Pathology
10th Edition (2018)
Authors: Vinay Kumar, Abul Abbas, Jon Aster
Elsevier Saunders
Philadelphia Philadelphia , PA , US
ISBN: 978-0323353175
Binding: Paperback
Additional Textbook Information
Prescribed echocardiography resources will be used in multiple units throughout course.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Vancouver
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
s.kitto@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Gross anatomy
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Cardiac valvular anatomy and innervation
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Pulmonary, systemic and coronary circulations
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Introduction to echocardiography
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Application of echo modalities
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Residential school
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Compulsory Residential School Thursday the 15th and Friday the 16th of April.
The Practical Assessment will be conducted during the compulsory residential school.
Module/Topic
Cardiac conduction system
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online Quiz will open at 11:00 am (AEST) on Wednesday the 21st of April and will close at 11:00 am (AEST) on Friday the 23rd of April.
Online Quiz Due: Week 6 Friday (23 Apr 2021) 11:00 am AEST
Module/Topic
Cardiac cycle and cardiac catheterisation
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Frank Starling Law, CO and auscultation
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Cellular and inflammatory processes
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Atherosclerotic and hemodynamic disorders
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Cardiac disease presentation
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Revision
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Online Test will open at 11:00 am (AEST) on Tuesday the 8th of June and will close at 11:00 am (AEST) on Friday the 11th of June.
Online Test Due: Review/Exam Week Friday (11 June 2021) 11:00 am AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Unit Coordinator and Contact details
Your coordinator for ECHO28007 Cardiac Anatomy and Pathophysiology is Susan Kitto. The most efficient and preferred method of contacting Susan is via the Q&A forum located on the unit Moodle site. If your query is of a personal nature, please contact Susan directly via email (s.kitto@cqu.edu.au) or phone (07 3023 4158).
Susan is contactable Monday, Tuesday and Friday. In between these days, replies may be delayed. If your enquiry is of an urgent nature, please contact Head of Course Paula Boucaut directly via email (p.boucaut@cqu.edu.au) or phone (07 3023 4108).
Unit Tutorials
Tutorials for this unit will be delivered 'live' online using ZOOM (the links required for accessing the tutorials are provided on the Moodle site). The tutorials will incorporate a discussion of the weekly content delivered and associated revision material. Advice will also be provided to support student preparation for related assessments. All tutorials will be recorded and subsequently made available on Moodle.
Unit Study Commitment
As per Australian educational standards, a study commitment or engagement of approximately 150 hours will be required to complete this unit (i.e. 12.5 hours per week). A suggestion for how you should allocate your study commitment per week is as follows:
- 3 hours watching recorded lectures
- 2 hours completing recommended readings
- 1.5 hours creating study notes
- 1 hour completing the weekly study questions
- 1 hour participating in/or viewing the weekly tutorial
- 4 hours preparing for quizzes, practical assessments or the final examination.
Compulsory Residential School
All students are required to attend the on-campus Compulsory Residential School on Thursday the 15th and Friday the 16th of April 2021 (break week on the academic calendar). Students will be notified of the campus venue details and residential school schedule upon term commencement. Travel will be necessitated to either Brisbane, Sydney or Perth CQUniversity campus for attendance at the residential school. Delivery venue will be dependent upon the number of student enrolments. Students may be required to act as a patient model for their peers during practical activities.
Please ensure you complete all the activities listed under the Orientation tile on the Moodle site upon first enrolment.
1 Online Quiz(zes)
This Online Quiz will assess your understanding of the content presented during weeks 1-5 of unit delivery.
- Questions will be drawn from a resource bank, to allow the Online Quiz to be different for each student.
- All unit content presented in lectures, tutorial presentations, at the residential school and within prescribed readings is examinable.
The Online Quiz may include multiple choice, short answer, calculation or image interpretation style questions. Students are encouraged to have a calculator available when sitting the quiz.
The Online Quiz will be open for 60 minutes.
- Once started, the quiz cannot be paused or restarted.
- Only one attempt is permitted.
Please note: It is important that you commence the Online Quiz before 10.00 am (AEST) on Friday the 23rd of April.
- The Online Quiz will automatically close at 11.00 am (AEST) on Friday the 23rd of April.
- If you have not completed the test by this time, your test may be submitted incomplete or with no answers.
In the absence of an approved extension, students will receive a mark of zero (or fail) for this assessment, if it is not completed by the scheduled date and time.
Students are reminded that IT support from the university Information and Technology Division (TASAC) is only available during AEST business hours.
This assessment is to be undertaken as an individual. As with all other university examinations, colluding with other students on non-group work tasks is considered academic misconduct, and may lead to action being taken by the Deputy Dean of Learning and Teaching HMAS.
Students are advised to refer to the 'Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)' document for additional university guidelines regarding assessments.
1
Week 6 Friday (23 Apr 2021) 11:00 am AEST
Online Quiz will open at 11:00 am (AEST) on Wednesday the 21st of April and will close at 11:00 am (AEST) on Friday the 23rd of April.
Results will be made available within two weeks of assessment due date. The Online Quiz question pool in its entirety will not be released to students.
You will be required to answer a variety of online questions.
Question responses will be assessed according to the:
- use of appropriate terminology and descriptors as well as grammar and spelling.
- student’s ability to appropriately interpret presented sonographic images and cardiac assessment data.
- student's ability to succinctly respond with accurate answers.
- Describe the anatomy, physiology and spatial relationship of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems
- Discuss concepts of general pathology, signs and symptoms of cardiac disease, including the application of cardiac auscultation
- Identify and differentiate between anatomical structures on medical images of the cardiovascular system
- Discuss and demonstrate echocardiographic window acquisition including scanning technique and image optimisation
- Discuss and demonstrate professional behaviour and communication skills consistent with safe and ethical practice
- Identify basic cardiac rhythm anomalies using electrocardiographic data.
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
2 Practical Assessment
This practical assessment has 2 components:
1. Demonstration of safe practice including hand hygiene and scanning ergonomics.
2. Acquisition of standard imaging windows with correct:
- probe manipulation
- image plane identification
- identification of key anatomical landmarks.
In the absence of an approved extension, this assessment cannot be completed at a later time.
Following provision of assessment feedback, only one opportunity for re-sit of any failed component will be provided.
- Re-sits will scheduled during the afternoon of day 2 of the residential school, Friday the 16th of April.
Students are advised to refer to the 'Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)' document for additional university guidelines regarding assessments.
The practical assessment will be conducted during the break week Residential School. Attendance at the Residential School is compulsory.
Vacation Week Friday (16 Apr 2021)
Direct feedback will be provided at the time of practical assessment.
Component 1
Students will be assessed on their ability to demonstrate professional behaviour and safe practice.
The student will be required to:
- demonstrate appropriate hand hygiene
- apply knowledge of infection control practices at the patient bedside
- implement ergonomic adjustments.
A detailed marking rubric can be found on the Moodle site.
Component 2
Students will be assessed on their ability to follow tutor instruction, demonstrating basic knowledge of ultrasound scanning and window acquisition.
The student will be required to:
- obtain on-axis orthogonal views
- identify sector orientation
- manipulate the transducer
- use appropriate terminology.
A detailed marking rubric can be found on the Moodle site.
Each assessment component is PASS/FAIL, and all assessment components must be successfully completed to pass this practical assessment overall.
No submission method provided.
- Discuss and demonstrate echocardiographic window acquisition including scanning technique and image optimisation
- Discuss and demonstrate professional behaviour and communication skills consistent with safe and ethical practice
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
3 Online Test
This Online Test will assess your understanding of the content presented throughout unit delivery. There will be a heavier emphasis on content not previously assessed, in particular content from weeks 6-11 of unit delivery.
- Questions will be drawn from a resource bank, to allow the Online Test to be different for each student.
- All unit content presented in lectures, tutorial presentations, at the residential school and within prescribed readings is examinable.
The Online Test may include multiple choice, short answer, calculation or image interpretation style questions. Students are encouraged to have a calculator available when sitting the test.
The Online Test will be open for 80 minutes.
- Once started, the test cannot be paused or restarted.
- Only one attempt is permitted.
Please note: It is important that you commence the Online Test before 9.40 am (AEST) Friday the 11th of June.
- The Online Test will automatically close at 11.00 am (AEST) on Friday the 11th of June.
- If you have not completed the test by this time, your test may be submitted incomplete or with no answers.
In the absence of an approved extension, students will receive a mark of zero (or fail) for this assessment, if it is not completed by the scheduled date and time.
Students are reminded that IT support from the university Information and Technology Division (TASAC) is only available during AEST business hours.
This assessment is to be undertaken as an individual. As with all other university examinations, colluding with other students on non-group work tasks is considered academic misconduct, and may lead to action being taken by the Deputy Dean of Learning and Teaching HMAS.
Students are advised to refer to the 'Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)' document for additional university guidelines regarding assessments.
Review/Exam Week Friday (11 June 2021) 11:00 am AEST
Online Test will open at 11:00 am (AEST) on Tuesday the 8th of June and will close at 11:00 am (AEST) on Friday the 11th of June.
Results will be made available within two weeks of assessment due date. The Online Test question pool in its entirety will not be released to students.
You will be required to answer a variety of online questions.
Question responses will be assessed according to the:
- use of appropriate terminology and descriptors as well as grammar and spelling
- student’s ability to appropriately interpret presented sonographic images and cardiac assessment data
- student's ability to succinctly respond with accurate answers.
- Describe the anatomy, physiology and spatial relationship of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems
- Discuss concepts of general pathology, signs and symptoms of cardiac disease, including the application of cardiac auscultation
- Identify and differentiate between anatomical structures on medical images of the cardiovascular system
- Discuss and demonstrate echocardiographic window acquisition including scanning technique and image optimisation
- Discuss and demonstrate professional behaviour and communication skills consistent with safe and ethical practice
- Identify basic cardiac rhythm anomalies using electrocardiographic data.
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
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.