Master of Cardiac Nursing

This course positions the student in pediatric cardiology wards. The students will be planning, implementing assessing and evaluating nursing care of the pediatric cardiology patient.

This course positions the student in adult cardiology wards. The students will be planning, implementing assessing and evaluating nursing care of the adult cardiology patient.

This course positions the student in cardiac surgical wards. The students will be planning, implementing assessing and evaluating nursing care of adult and pediatric cardiac surgical patients.

This course positions the student in cardiac intensive care units. The students will be planning, implementing assessing and evaluating nursing care of adult and pediatric cardiac intensive care patients.

This course introduces the registered nurse to the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems. The course unpacks the normal structures and functions of the human body. It then focusses upon the anatomy, physiology, hemodynamics, microbiology, biochemical processes, immunology, and pathology of the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems. At the completion of the course, the student should be able to discern between normal and abnormal cardiopulmonary anatomy and physiology, and microbiological, biochemical and immunological laboratory data.

This course introduces the registered nurse to both congenital and acquired cardiac anomalies and the metabolic heart diseases prevalent to the Saudi Arabian neonatal, pediatric, adolescent, and adult population. The course unpacks the pathophysiology, treatments, and complications of these disorders. Topics explored include, metabolic heart disease, acyanotic lesions with increased pulmonary blood flow, acyanotic lesions with left ventricular and aortic outflow tract obstruction, cyanotic lesions with decreased pulmonary blood flow and cyanotic lesions with mixed venous and systemic blood flow. At the completion of the course, the students will be able to describe the aberrant hemodynamics and or clinical pathways of these disorders as well as the recommended surgical and or interventional treatments across all age groups.

This course introduces the registered nurse to the notions of quality and safety in the context of care delivery in hospitals. The registered nurse will be introduced to the competencies set forth by the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) organization. Systematically, the course educates the nurse to incorporate quality and safety competencies when planning, implementing, assessing and evaluating nursing care. At the completion of the course, the students will be able to articulate a rational behind their integration of quality and safety competencies into planned nursing care.

This course builds upon and reviews the content taught in AAA 111 Cardiovascular-Pulmonary Systems – 1. In the context of these two systems, the course unpacks the importance of understanding the growth and developmental milestones from the neonatal period through to that of the geriatric period. Understanding the influence of milestone development on the interpretation of physical assessment findings and subsequent nursing care decision making is fundamental in the provision of effective care delivery. The participants of the course will reflect on nursing considerations in the context of a nursing care model, patient and family centered care, professional nursing standards, and quality and safety considerations. At the completion of the course, the student should be able to undertake a full physical assessment, reflecting upon laboratory results and radiological findings to determine priorities of care in context of the patient’s age.

This course introduces the registered nurse to the specialty of clinical cardiology for patients across the age spectrum and their care in the intensive care setting. The course demonstrates how the disruption to one of the five major systems can lead to more widespread dysfunction in other systems whilst describing in detail the pathophysiology of ischemic heart disease and the various risk factors that are attributed to its development. The students will develop the knowledge, skills and attributes required in assessing and managing patients with ischemia, angina and myocardial infarction. Further, the course unpacks the more critical nursing considerations required when caring for an individual managed in the intensive care unit (ICU). Further, students will be introduced to specific knowledge, skills and attributes requisite to ICU setting. At the completion of the course, the students will be able to predict appropriate ICU management considerations when presented with typical ICU case scenarios. Further, they will be able to identify possible risks and the nursing management actions that would mitigate these risks. Finally, the students will be able to explain the development, assessment and management of ischemic heart disease be able to assess rhythm strips and 12 Lead ECGs for aberrant arrhythmias as well ischemia, injury and infarction changes.

This course introduces the registered nurses to the foundational knowledge, skills and attributes pertaining to evidence-based practice in healthcare. The course historically contextualizes the registered nurses understanding to the importance of research and evidence-based practice. Topics included in the course are: construction of clinical questions; types and levels of evidence; strengths and weaknesses of evidence; literature search strategies and databases; critical appraisal tools. At the completion of the course, the student will have the knowledge and skills to build and subsequently submit a clinical project proposal.

The intent of this project is to enable to the student to learn to pursue a chosen topic through a literature search on a topic approved by the graduate advisor, collection and analysis of data, project report preparation and defense. Although this course officially begins toward the end of the second year, the trainees are encouraged to identify a project topic and supervisor in their first year so that they are able to begin their research project in the winter of their second year.