MSc Cardiology and Stroke

This module covers skills in literature searching, information retrieval, and provides the opportunity to use electronic search databases and critical appraisal of evidence. You will be expected to challenge current practice by conducting a literature search and producing critique of a published study. These skills will inform your clinical decision making.

Content: 

Includes the following:

• Understanding of the importance of evidence to inform practice and the impact of the hierarchy of evidence

• Efficient and systematic searching of appropriately identified databases

• Retrieval of research evidence to answer an agreed research question relevant to the student's programme of study

• Development of critical appraisal skills

• Applying the evidence identified to the student's own area of practice

Full time students should have had rlevant and recent work experience

Note: no attendance at the University is required. This is an online module. You will need to have access to a computer from between 1230 and 1430 hrs GMT on each of the above dates to access live online taught sessions by academic staff. These sessions will be recorded for repeat viewing but it is better if you participate in person as there will be opportunity to ask questions.

The module leader is Rebecca Penzer-Hick - r.penzer-hick@herts.ac.uk 

Madeleine Flanagan is Programme Lead for MSc Dermatology - m.flanagan@herts.ac.uk and Kathy Radley is Programme Lead for MSc Skin Lesion Management - k.radley@herts.ac.uk

This module has been designed to enable students to demonstrate an extensive, detailed and critical understanding of health care related project management from both academic and professional perspectives. It will enable you to engage in independent study in order to undertake a comprehensive project plan, which will be of value to your area of work. The project will be an analysis of an issue related to your professional discipline, which will require you to explore critically the relevant literature, developing new insights and perspectives. Ideally, this should be a proposal for a project you wish to implement in the future.

Key content is delivered online on 3 days teaching to guide you through this project. You will also be supported by an individual supervisor but as this project is the final module for the majority of students it represents a culmination of the knowledge and skills learnt during your postgraduate studies and is student led. Some sessions will be live to encourage participation and exchange of ideas but will be recorded so they can be viewed at a later date.     

This module has been designed to enable students to undertake this module as the final part of all Master’s programmes offered by the School of Postgraduate Medicine.

This course will enable the student to understand the multi-faceted nature of leadership. It will encourage the practitioner to recognise their approach to leadership, how leadership us undertaken within their work setting and the multiple factors that shape prevailing leadership styles and the impact of this on colleagues, team working and for clients. Within the course, particular attention will be given to the practitioner as leadership within contemporary organisations. This course will equip the practitioner to recognise and develop their leadership potential so that they can develop new insights, new ways of working and promote change and sustained development within their work setting.

Students will be given the opportunity to attend lectures, discuss, debate and work in groups to present a series of seminars which address:

The Changing Context of Work: 

From hierarchy to new patterns of leadership and responsibility, to include: the changing nature of work; post modern thought; policy change and decentralisation of power and responsibilities; tribes and clans; patterns of working and organisations. 

Theories and Leadership:

Discussion of the distinction between leadership and management; how leadership is experienced within health and social care; the influences of gender, class, race and organisational power in the development of leadership; power and conflict.

Working as a Leader:

The leader as practitioner, team member; understanding personal leadership styles; ethical demands and issues facing the practitioner as leader; supervision and governance; management of stress, releasing talent; working smarter: emotional intelligence, transactional.

Module Aims

The aims of this module are to enable students to increase self-awareness and ability to identify personal development challenges. Students will engage in work-based enquiry in order to solve problems or challenges in their workplace. 

Introduction to the Module Content

This module will enable health professionals to focus their learning on their workplace activities – enhancing the skills and abilities of individuals and providing innovation and investment for work force or services in medical or health care sectors. The provision of healthcare in contemporary practice demands that health care professionals engage in inter-professional and work-based learning, undertaking research, development and consultancy which is the focus of this module. The majority of these topics will be covered through interactive technology – virtual classrooms. Students will work in learning groups to encourage peer debate and support. 

Delivery of the Module: Online based activity

This module is delivered completely online and has online materials released throughout the semester. Topics covered will be as follows;

• Introduction to work-based learning

• Situational analysis

• Clinical audit

The online sessions will be supported by on-line tutorials by mutual arrangement with the module tutor.

This module will focus on the development of high level, appropriate clinical decision-making skills and effective, timely management of stroke / cardiology related conditions in order to provide a comprehensive care management strategy to patients.

Students will have the opportunity to practice their clinical decision-making skills, in clinical simulation based educational activities, which may include the use of advanced patient simulators and surrogate patients.

The module aims to promote an understanding of and application of a range of appropriate therapeutic interventions (pharmacological and non-pharmacological) relevant to stroke / cardiology. Students will be familiarised with the use of a range of technical equipment (e.g. cardiac ultrasound, radiological imaging, pacing devices, defibrillators).

The aims of this module are to enable students to... 

1. Develop critical skills in the understanding and analysis of information derived from the assessment process incorporating clinical and diagnostic testing results.
2. Develop critical skills to develop a differential diagnosis and the use of available information to further refine the diagnostic process.
3. Develop critical application of knowledge and skills pertinent to develop management strategies in the acute and later phases of illness and subsequent rehabilitative care.
4. Develop critical and effective patient-centered management plans for a range of cardiology conditions and stroke (including pharmacological, interventional, surgical and palliative options). 

Skills and Attributes: 

Successful students will typically:

1. Demonstrate critical and advanced skills in timely and effective clinical decision-making. 
2. Demonstrate critical and advanced skills in the construction of timely, effective and individualised management plans for patients with cardiac or stroke disease. 
3. Demonstrate a critical and advanced appreciation and the judicious application of current validated national / international treatment guidelines pertinent to cardiology / stroke - NICE, RCP, AHA.
4. Demonstrate advanced and effective intra-professional / inter-professional communication skills to enable effective multi-disciplinary care. 
5. Demonstrate the critical and judicious application of new evidence of current clinical practice safely and effectively. 

This module aims to facilitate a critical understanding of the use of appropriate diagnostic tools to complement effective treatment and develop patient management plans. It also promotes a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the presentation, pathophysiology and management of cardiac disease / stroke to help enable the assessment process.

The module aims to promote an advanced level of knowledge and understanding of the clinical management of arrhythmia including atrial fibrillation and others commonly encountered.

Students will have the opportunity to practice their history taking and physical examination skills, which may include the use of advanced patient simulators and / or surrogate patients.

The evidence base and contemporary literature will be examined regarding effective assessment and the use of investigations in cardiology / stroke medicine.

Module Aims

To enable students to:

1. Develop critical skills in the use of assessment in patients with a range of cardiological conditions including stroke.
2. Develop critical and in depth understanding in the use of appropriately targeted investigations as a contribution to both reaching an accurate diagnosis and the delivery of safe and effective care.

Skills and Attributes:

Successful students will typically:

1. Demonstrate critical and advanced skills in eliciting an accurate and targeted history of the patient's presenting condition and other relevant risk factors, with emphasis on the social history and the impact of the disease on the person. This will include the capacity to deliver patient-centred care with an individualised therapeutic plan.
2. Demonstrate a critical and advanced ability to perform a skilled and focussed clinical cardiological and neurological examination and use other relevant systems skilfully.
3. Demonstrate a critical and advanced ability to request a range of appropriate diagnostic tests and / or investigations that will alter patient management, including advanced and effective communication skills with other key clinicians relevant to the care being given and management policies adopted.
4. Demonstrate a critical and advanced ability to accurately interpret and apply the results / findings from a range of diagnostic tests / investigations in the context of the individual patient.
5. Demonstrate a critical appreciation and judicious application of current validated National and International guidelines pertinent to cardiology / stroke i.e. NICE, AHA, RCP Guidelines.

This module will follow national and international recommendations and guidelines for the treatment of coronary artery disease, arrhythmias, heart failure, syncope, hypertension, mitral and aortic valve disease, and coronary revascularization, cardiac investigations, primary and secondary prevention, managing risk, awareness raising, providing information, guidance & support. It will also cover urgent response. Management of angina, atrial fibrillation, valve disease, revascularisation, syncope, cardiac rehabilitation, secondary prevention, long-term care and support, assessment and review, return to work, end of life care.

Module Aims 

The aims of this module are to enable students to…

Develop a critical and systematic understanding of the aetiology, assessment, investigation and management of cardiac conditions in key specialist areas.

Skills and Attributes:

Successful students will typically:

1. Demonstrate critical and advanced application in the assessment of key specialist cardiac conditions and advanced risk assessment skills.
2. Demonstrate critical and advanced skills in the provision of information, advice and support and critical and advanced understanding of the importance of efficient management following first contact.
3. Demonstrate critical and advanced skills in the tailoring of investigations and treatment to the needs of the individual patient 
4. Demonstrate critical and advanced application of emergency cardiac resuscitation, including management of life-threatening arrhythmia.
5. Demonstrate critical and advanced application in the effective assessment and review regarding long-term care / end of life care. 

This module will follow the Stroke Specific Educational Framework in its focus upon prevention, first contact, treatment & rehab and long-term support and review. The module will focus on prevention, managing risk, awareness raising, providing information, guidance & support and urgent response. The module will also focus on the management of trans-ischaemic attacks / stroke, high-quality specialist rehabilitation, seamless transfer of care, long-term care and support, assessment and review, return to work, and end of life care.

Module Aims

The aim of this module is to enable students to:

Develop a critical and systematic understanding of the aetiology, assessment, investigation and management of stroke in key specialist areas.

Skills and Attributes:

Successful students will typically:

1. Demonstrate critical and advanced skills in the effective assessment and management of risk in those with post-stroke/TIA

2. Demonstrate critical and advanced skills in the effective application of providing information, advice and support and the importance of efficient management follow first contact.

3. Demonstrate critical and advanced skills in the effective management of hyper-acute and acute stroke / TIA management including specialist rehabilitation.

4. Demonstrate critical and advanced skills in the effective assessment and review of patients in relation to long term care / end of life care.

(Learning outcomes skills and attributes SA1-5 are achieved through the learning programme - lectures, on-line learning, and tutorials)

All taught sessions will take place on line and Zoom class