EMC114
Basic Arrhythmia Recognition

Section 5455 - Course Syllabus

Course Description

Application of basic principles of cardiac anatomy and physiology to recognize basic heart arrhythmias. Designed for health and allied care personnel who assume responsibility for cardiac monitoring in the pre-hospital and hospital setting.

Student Learning Outcomes

At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

Objectives

1. Identify and define 9 structures of the heart and their basic function.
2. Define the following terms related to cardiac electrophysiology:
   1. Depolarization
   2. Repolarization
   3. Action potential
   4. Refractory states
3. Describe the sequence of cardiac activation and recovery, and relate this information to the electrocardiogram (EKG) configuration.
4. Demonstrate a systematic method of EKG interpretation.
5. Identify normal waveforms for monitoring leads II, modified cardiac lead (MCL) 1 and 6.
6. Classify arrhythmias according to site, mechanism and severity.
7. Identify 15 arrhythmias.
8. Recognize and describe 4 conduction defects.
9. Identify 3 premature and escape beats and state the mechanism for each.
10. Discuss possible nursing and medical interventions for 15 major arrhythmias.
11. Identify pacemaker rhythms.

Class Meetings

As this is an asynchronous course, we will not be meeting as a class. There is a discussion section where you can post questions, comments or content related to this course. Also feel free to respond to other student queries - learning together is more fun than learning alone! Just be respectful and kind in your response.

Instructor Contact

Art Hsieh, MA NRP

Email: ahsieh@santarosa.edu

Text or Phone: +1-510-593-0151 (only for urgent matters please. Identify yourself as a student in EMC 114 so I know who you are!)

Office Hours: I'll be available Mondays and Tuesdays. Use this link to schedule time either via zoom or in person in Windsor. If your life or work schedule prevents you from making these days, contact me via email and we can make arrangements during the week.

I will endeavor to respond to emails with 24-36 hours.

Course Web Site

Students will use this Canvas course web site for assignment instructions, submitting assignments, viewing classmate's work, sharing resources, and viewing grades.

Textbook

Loreda Huff, ECG Workout: Exercises in Arrhythmia Interpretation, 8th Edition ISBN 978-1975174545

Please have this textbook in hand before class begins. It may be easier to have a hard copy rather than the online version, so you can physically measure ECG strips.

You can locate and order textbooks online via the SRJC Bookstore, or any website. Note that if you want to pick your books up in Petaluma, you need to order them from the Petaluma Bookstore website.

Optionally, you can also buy a pair of calipers to help you measure ECG tracings. 

Required Tech

You will need reliable Internet access in order to work through the activities, and a camera/microphone on your device to use Zoom in case you want to connect with me online. 

Important Dates

Dropping the Class

If you decide to discontinue this course, it is your responsibility to officially drop it to avoid getting no refund (after 10% of course length), a W symbol (after 20%), or a grade (after 60%). Also, for several consecutive, unexplained absences, the instructor may drop a student.

Instructor Announcements and Q&A Forum

I will post announcements on the “Instructor Announcements” page in Canvas throughout the semester. Canvas notifies students according to their preferred Notification Preferences as soon as the instructor creates an Announcement. A “Q&A Forum” is also on Canvas to ask for assistance of your classmates or of instructor.

Attendance

You must log-in to an online class by the second day of the semester (January 14) or you will be dropped from the class. It is strongly advised that if you need to miss more than one class/homework deadline in a row that you contact me to avoid being dropped from the class.

Late Policy

All assignments are due 11:59 PM on the due date. A late submission will receive a 25% penalty. Submissions more than 48 hours late are not accepted without prior arrangement. Submitting your work on time is important to keep you on track and on time for a successful completion of this class!

Exams

There are five (5) exams:

The material comes from the textbook, class lectures and supplemental materials. If any exam is missed, a zero will be recorded as the score. It is your responsibility to take the online exams by the due date.

Grading Policy

Visit the “Grades” in Canvas to keep track of your grades. I grade [once a week] and post grades and comments on the online Canvas gradebook.

Grades will be assigned as follows:

Standards of Conduct

Students who register in SRJC classes are required to abide by the SRJC Student Conduct Standards. Violation of the Standards is basis for referral to the Vice President of Student Services or dismissal from class or from the College. See the Student Code of Conduct page.

Collaborating on or copying of tests or homework in whole or in part will be considered an act of academic dishonesty and result in a grade of 0 for that test or assignment. I encourage students to share information and ideas, but not their work. See these links on Plagiarism:
SRJC Writing Center Lessons on avoiding plagiarism
SRJC's policy on Academic Integrity

Other Important Policies and Practices

Avoid Plagiarism Like the, er, Plague

Although most students have likely heard about plagiarism during their years of schooling, it still is prevalent-even in higher education.

The video below reviews what plagiarism is and how not to do it.

Plagiarism: How to avoid it

Online Behavior

Netiquette refers to using common courtesy in online communication. All members of the class are expected to follow netiquette in all course communications. Use these guidelines:

• Use capital letters sparingly. THEY LOOK LIKE SHOUTING.
• Forward emails only with a writer's permission.
• Be considerate of others' feelings and use language carefully.
• Cite all quotations, references, and sources (otherwise, it is plagiarism).
• Use humor carefully. It is hard to "read" tone; sometimes humor can be misread as criticism or personal attack. Feel free to use emoticons like :) for a smiley face to let others know you are being humorous.
• Use complete sentences and standard English grammar to compose posts. Write in proper paragraphs. Review work before submitting it.
• Text speak, such as "ur" for "your" or "ru" for "are you" etc., is only acceptable when texting.

Disability Resources

Students with disabilities who believe they need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact Disability Resources as soon as possible to better ensure such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.