Assessment of the learning experience

Assessment of Learning Experience

Multiple formative and summative assessment methods will be adopted to test both cognitive and psychomotor domains. These include:

• Context-dependent Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) with a specific pass grade (80%). This test will be conducted online at the END of course.
• Performance assessment by direct observation using rating forms and checklists.

If participants fail to achieve the pass mark, remediation may occur at the end of the course or they will be requested to re-sit the tests again.

To pass the PALS course, you will also be required to successfully manage a mega-code.

A mega-code is hands-on, dynamic, in the real-time, practice of treating a life-threatening cardiac emergency. The cardiac emergency may include ventricular fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia with or without pulses, asystole, pulseless electrical activity, bradycardia, and more.

In managing a code or cardiac arrest, you will be required to recognize and correctly identify basic life-threatening rhythms or arrhythmias. You will be required to assess the patient's general condition and effectively treat the patient according to the algorithms and recommendations using the defibrillator and basic cardiac drugs.

During the mega-code practice and testing portion of the class, you may have to perform roles that may be outside your standard scope of practice. You will be required to be a "team leader" in managing the code, requesting defibrillation, synchronized cardioversion, CPR, and the correct cardiac drugs and doses when indicated according to PALS guidelines. In managing the mega-code, the team leader will assign his/her team members to specific roles and responsibilities including:

• Compressions,
• Airway management,
• Use of the defibrillator/monitor,
• Selecting and preparing drugs out of the resuscitation trolley,
• Recording, etc. 

Though you will have sufficient time to practice running mega-codes and also watch audio-visual programs, course preparation is mandatory to make your experience valuable toward your education and your successful completion of the class. You are encouraged to read the recommended PALS Provider Manuals or learn from this online course which is a great resource in preparation for your course and the written exam. The online pre-course self-assessment has shown to be highly valued by those who have attended our classes.

Dr. Magdi Moharib