Program Overview

Unit Overview

The unit NRSG538 - Cardiac Care: Advanced Concepts in the Specialty Coronary Care Setting is designed to support students in evaluating scientific concepts that underpin best practice in the cardiac/coronary care setting. This unit aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to deliver person-centered and evidence-based quality care.

Unit Rationale, Description, and Aim

Specialist cardiac nursing requires a foundation understanding of scientific concepts that support the management and care of people presenting with chronic, acute, and complex cardiac conditions. This unit further develops students' understanding of the pathophysiology associated with coronary conditions and deviations from the norm associated with cardiac disease processes within their specialty practice.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to:

1. Analyse developmental and pathophysiological concepts related to complex specialist cardiac conditions.
2. Evaluate the science underpinning specialist nursing management of complex cardiac conditions.
3. Critically analyse and apply evidence underpinning curative, rehabilitative, preventative, and/or palliative approaches to care for patients with cardiac and cardiothoracic conditions.
4. Evaluate evidence-based practice in the treatment and management available for patients with complex cardiac conditions and the impact on their health and wellbeing.

Unit Content

Topics covered in this unit include:

• Anatomy and physiology of the cardiovascular system
• Chambers of the heart
• Valves of the heart
• Layers of the heart
• Blood flow through the heart
• The coronary circulation
• The conduction system
• Cardiac performance
• Approaches to care (curative, preventative, rehabilitative, palliative)
• Coronary Artery Disease
• Myocardial Ischemia & Acute Coronary Syndrome (Angina, CAD, MI)
• Cardiac dysrhythmia and management
• Cardiac pacing (temporary/permanent)
• Cardiac arrest resuscitation
• Cardiogenic shock & PCI
• Pathophysiology
• Assessment & management
• Percutaneous coronary intervention (Angioplasty/stent insertion)
• Nursing management of the patient undergoing PCI
• Pharmacotherapy
• Fibrinolytic therapy
• Anticoagulation
• Antiplatelet agents
• Beta-blocker therapy
• ACE inhibitors
• Calcium channel blockers
• Antiarrhythmic agents
• Diuretics
• Cardiomyopathy and Heart Failure
• Aetiology
• Diagnosis/Best practice
• Dilated Cardiomyopathy
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• Sudden cardiac death
• Patient experiences of cardiomyopathy
• Left heart failure (congestive heart failure)
• Ejection fraction and heart failure (systolic heart failure)
• Pathogenesis of HF
• Chronic heart failure
• Diastolic heart failure
• Right heart failure
• Acute heart failure - principles of care
• Management of heart failure
• Discharge patient with heart failure
• Care of the patient with implantable cardiac devices
• Principles of implantable cardiac devices
• Intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP)
• Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICD)
• Ventricular Assist Devices (VAD)
• Clinical rationale for VAD implantation
• Patient experiences of VAD
• Permanent Pacemakers
• Nursing management of patients with a pacemaker
• Management of cardiac valve disease and cardiothoracic surgeries
• Mitral valve, Tricuspid valve/aortic valve disease
• Valve replacement surgery
• Cardiothoracic surgery
• Cardiopulmonary bypass
• Coronary artery bypass grafting
• Post-operative care of the patient:
  • Fluid and electrolyte management
  • Arterial blood gas analysis
  • Management of intercostal catheter/chest drains
  • Management of central venous access
  • Patient experiences of cardiac surgery

Assessment Strategy and Rationale

The assessment strategy encourages the progressive development of students' scientific knowledge in relation to specialist cardiac practice. Assessments include:

1. Quiz: Demonstrates acquired foundation scientific knowledge and concepts related to specialized cardiac nursing.
2. Digital Presentation/Poster: Analyzes the pathophysiological concepts and scientific underpinnings of common cardiac conditions in the cardiac specialty setting.
3. Case Study: Applies learned scientific knowledge and demonstrates critical thinking skills, analysis, and synthesis of evidence in relation to a complex presentation in the cardiac care specialty setting.

Learning and Teaching Strategy and Rationale

Teaching and learning strategies support students in meeting the aim and achieving the learning outcomes. This unit is offered via the ACU Online platform, using active learning to focus on cardiac nursing specialist practice and apply developmental and pathophysiological concepts and evidence-based practice.

Representative Texts and References

Recommended texts include:

• Greenhalgh, T., Bidwell, J., Crisp, E., Lambros, A., & Warland, J. (2020). Understanding research methods for evidence-based practice in health.
• Hoffmann, T., Bennett, S., & Del Mar, C. (2017). Evidence-based practice across the health professions.
• Knights, K. M., Darroch, S., Rowland, A., & Bushell, M. (2023). Pharmacology for health professionals.
• McCance, K. L., Huether, S. E., Brashers, V. L., & Rote, N. S. (2019). Pathophysiology: the biologic basis for disease in adults and children.
• Patton, K. T., & Thibodeau, G. A. (2019). Anatomy & physiology.
• Taylor, K., & Guerin, P. (2019). Health care and Indigenous Australians: cultural safety in practice.

Locations and Credit Points

This unit is offered online and is worth 10 credit points.