Time Schedule:
Carol Jacobson
NURS 445
Seattle Campus
Guided survey and discussion of current literature on major topics in physiological nursing. Seminar/lecture with analysis and discussion of selected topics and readings. May have clinical component. Implications for nursing practice and health care emphasized.
Class description
Welcome to Basic Cardiac Arrhythmia Interpretation! In this class you will learn about the anatomy of the cardiac conduction system, where arrhythmias originate in the heart, and how to interpret all of the basic cardiac arrhythmias from rhythm strips. Arrhythmia interpretation is a skill that is usually required when working in any type of critical care unit or when working with cardiac patients in both inpatient and outpatient settings.
The course is being offered live as well as via video stream for distance learners through Moodle. Distance learners will receive the same instruction as the students who are present in the classroom and will be able to pause the video to do the practice sessions while the students are doing them in the classroom. Questions asked in class will be repeated for the distance learners and answered on the videotape. You will receive instruction on how to work with Moodle on the first day of the class. This is the first time this class has been offered this way, so we are all going to learn how this works together.
Class meets on Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 AM to noon starting on June 23 and ending on July 23. Teaching methods include lecture using PowerPoint slides, in-class practice with rhythm strips, and homework every night that the class meets. There will be a midterm exam and a final exam (more information below).
Syllabus and Course Materials The syllabus for the course is on Moodle and students should print it off before each class. The syllabus is organized by week and by session. For example, Week 1 Session 1 is the first day of the first week of class (Wed. June 23); Week 1 Session 2 is the second day of the first week of class (Fri, June 25), etc. Because of the July 4 holiday, week 2 has only one session.
Practice strips are part of the syllabus and will need to be printed off in order to do the measurements required to interpret the strips. You will need calipers to do these measurements. Calipers will be available in the classroom, or you can contact Jamie Palmer at jpalmer2@u.washington.edu and she can send you a pair if you are planning to do the video course and not be in the classroom. You will also need the rate ruler that will be used to teach heart rate calculation, and Jamie can email that to you as well.
Homework Homeworks are on Moodle and need to be printed off so you can do the strip interpretations and answer the questions that are asked. Although homework is not going to be graded, it is extremely important that you do it in order to get the practice you need to learn to interpret rhythms. Homework will be reviewed at the beginning of each class so bring your questions and we will discuss them during the review.
Exams The midterm and final exams are on-line exams. You will need to print the tests in order to do the rhythm strip interpretations but your answers will be on-line. You will get a demonstration of how to use the drop-down boxes to answer the questions on the exams.
The midterm exam will be available on Moodle on July 9 and needs to be completed by midnight that night. We will review the answers to the midterm at the beginning of class on July 11.
The final will be available on Moodle on July 23 and needs to be completed by midnight that night.
Grading of the exams is done automatically on Moodle. You will be given instructions on how to review your grades. A score of 80% is required to pass the course. The midterm will count for 25% and the final will count for 75% of your final grade.
Communicating with the Instructor Carol Jacobson RN, MN is the instructor for this course. You can communicate with me through the UW email system at msecg@u.washington.edu. I will check that email every afternoon and will try to answer any questions the same day whenever possible. If you are having problems and need to meet or talk by phone that can be arranged.
Discussion Board There is a discussion board available on Moodle for communication among students in this course. Participation is entirely optional, and the board will not be used as part of presenting information or evaluating your learning.
Additional References If you wish to purchase additional books to facilitate your learning, the University Bookstore on South Campus has several arrhythmia interpretation textbooks that you may find helpful to supplement the syllabus used in this course.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Recommended preparation
Class assignments and grading
