This assessment explores the educational pathways, scope of practice and continuing professional development of echocardiographers in Australia. It also examines the incidence and management of coronary artery disease and the benefits of multidisciplinary care for cardiovascular patients. 

 Students are required to:

• Research the topics provided.
• Compose a written essay responding to the questions posed.   
• Prepare a PowerPoint presentation summarising findings.  Slides are to be capped at ten (10) in number. 

 
Research advice:

Students are permitted to use generative AI tools to gain a better understanding of their assignment topics.  However, students are strictly prohibited from using generative AI to write any part of their reports or assignments. All submitted work must be the student's own original writing. The use of AI-generated content is considered a breach of academic integrity if copied into submissions. The task is intended for students to demonstrate understanding of the unit’s learning outcomes. 

Research topics: Questions are grouped under three (3) research topics labelled part A, B and C. Students are required to answer all questions under each topic heading. 

Part A:  Education, professional development and practice. 

1.  Compare and contrast undergraduate and postgraduate cardiac ultrasound educational pathways in terms of;

• Key course entry requirements.
• Course length.
• Clinical placement requirements. 

2. Whilst an echocardiographer is a cardiac physiologist, cardiac ultrasound educational sonography is an advanced area of practice. Briefly describe three (3) investigations that a cardiac physiologist might perform, other than cardiac sonography. 

3. Describe the continuous professional development requirements that an accredited cardiac sonographer must meet to maintain ASAR registration.  

4. Discuss the significance of ongoing CPD and detail at least three (3) activities that can be undertaken to meet these requirements. 

Part B: The Australian public health experience. 

1. Define coronary artery disease and discuss the incidence of this disease in Australia (including death rates). 

2. Describe one community-based program focused on educating and preventing cardiovascular disease in Australia.  

3. Discuss why it is important that public health efforts are made to prevent and manage cardiovascular diseases.  

Part C: Benefits of multidisciplinary care. 

1. Define multidisciplinary care, and explain why this approach is important for patients with cardiovascular disease. 

2. Describe a hypothetical multidisciplinary care plan for a patient who is recovering from a heart attack. Your answer should identify several different health care professionals and the role they might play in patient care and rehabilitation. 

Written essay: 

Each part will require a response of 300-400 words. 

The total essay word count is capped at 1200 words. 

·       Excluded from word count are: headings, images, indexes, and references.   

·       Inclusions in word count: descriptive explanations of tables and figures.

The essay should be submitted as a word document.

PowerPoint presentation:

CQUniversity branded slides are available on Moodle, but students may use an alternative design of their choice.  

A PowerPoint exemplar is also provided. 

The presentation should be customised to suit an audience of peers or general community members. 

Submission:

Submit your Word document and PowerPoint to Turnitin via Moodle assessment tab. 

Please allow time to review your Turnitin results and implement changes if required prior to the assessment due date and time. 

Submissions must be appropriately labelled, adopting the following format: 

John SMITH_S12345_Assessment1_Written essay  

John SMITH_S12345_Assessment1_Powerpoint presentation

Late submission penalty:

If a student does not submit an extension request or does not demonstrate sound reasons for a late request, a penalty of five percent of the total available marks for the assessment will be deducted for each full or part calendar day the assessment task is overdue. 

You will be assessed using the Assessment marking rubric (available on Moodle) on your ability to:

• Address the questions with comprehensive responses.
• Keep within the word limit.
• Reference accordingly in line with the CQUniversity Vancouver guide.
• Locate and critically evaluate researched information.
• Use appropriate grammar, sentence structure and discipline-specific language.
• Appropriately use images or tables which enhance discussion topics.
• Present slides with relevant information, clarity and logic and free from clutter. 

A downloadable copy of the Written Assessment task rubric can be found on the Moodle site.

This task includes two practical assessments and a student self reflection. All tasks are completed during residential school attendance.

Part A: Hand hygiene

Part B: Scanning activity

Part C: Self reflection

Each task is described below. 

Practical assessment Part A: Hand hygiene.

• Students will be required to demonstrate that they can achieve hand hygiene by effectively and safely washing their hands with soap and water. 

Practical assessment Part B: Introduction to Echocardiographic scanning skills.

• Students will be required to demonstrate basic skills in cardiac ultrasound scanning and probe handling, whilst communicating and interacting with the patient model professionally. 

A time limit of 10min will be applied to the practical assessment Part B. All students must be available to act as patient models for peer practical assessments. 

Part C: Self reflection

The student is required to complete the self assessment task provided on Moodle on day two (2) of residential school. Failure to submit part C will result in a FAIL grade for the practical assessment.

Marking rubrics for assessment parts A, B and C are available on the Moodle unit. Students will be assessed on their ability to:

• Demonstrate safe hand hygiene principles.
• Demonstrate professional behaviour and safe practice.
• Identify sector orientation.
• Manipulation of transducer, including the use of appropriate terminology.
• Demonstrate professional behaviour, clear explanation of the test.
• Reflect on residential school experiences and learnings. 

To be deemed competent and pass, all action criteria boxes must be performed correctly in Part A, Part B and Part C and submitted to staff before completion of day 2 of the residential school.   

Practical parts A and B are graded separately so that if one is passed and another is not, only the failed task must be repeated successfully to pass overall. Following provision of assessment feedback, only one opportunity for re-sit of any failed tasks will be provided. Practical assessment re-sits will be held on the same day as the original attempt (Friday 16th May 2025). All enrolled students must be available to act as a patient model for peer re-sits if requested by the unit coordinator. 

Students are required to respond to a series of questions via an online test, within the prescribed time frame. This online test will assess the student's understanding of the content presented throughout the 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 and suggested readings is assessable. The online test may include multiple choice, short answer, matching or image interpretation style questions.

To successfully complete the online test, students must:

• Access the online test.
• Attempt the online test only once.
• Undertake the online test as an individual.

The total time allocated for perusal and completion of the online test is 70 minutes in total. Notify relevant staff and TaSAC if technical issues arise during the online test. TaSAC is available for immediate assistance during AEST business hours only. Please note: It is important that you commence the online test before 7:00pm AEST Friday 6th June 2025. If you have not completed the test by this time, your test may be submitted incomplete or with no answers. Please note:

• Once started, the online test cannot be paused or restarted.
• Only one attempt is permitted.
• The online test will automatically close at 8:00pm AEST on Friday 6th June 2025.

In the absence of an approved extension, the online test cannot be completed at a later time. Students are reminded that IT support from the university Information and Technology Division (TASAC) is only available during AEST business hours. 

If attempt issues occur outside of business hours, students should immediately email the Unit Coordinator documenting difficulties. 

Advice should include the date and time of the incident and a screenshot from the PC display if an error is evident. 

Incidents will be considered on a case-by-case basis. There is no guarantee extra test attempts will be offered. 

Students are advised to refer to the "Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework) document for additional university assessment guidelines. 

Academic Integrity and Artificial Intelligent policy:

The use of AI-generated content is considered a breach of academic integrity and should not be used to complete questions in this online test. This assessment task is intended for students to demonstrate understanding of the unit’s learning outcomes.  

Question responses will be assessed according to your ability to:

• Demonstrate sound knowledge of the scope and requirements of cardiac physiologists within the context of the current Australian health care system.
• Use appropriate terminology and descriptors as well as grammar and spelling.
• Appropriately interpret presented sonographic images and cardiac assessment data.
• Succinctly respond with accurate answers.