Overview
How can you use medical devices to keep both patients and equipment safe? This course helps you develop the basic skills in handling essential medical devices with a strong focus on patient safety and proper device functionality.
From monitoring vital signs to delivering life-saving interventions, essential medical devices are the core of healthcare. ECG devices, patient monitors, syringe pumps and drivers, suction machines, oxygen concentrators and defibrillators are used every day to support patients at critical moments. Their safe and effective use requires some expertise; it also demands knowledge, skills and confidence. In this online training, you will learn how to use these devices responsibly, with patient safety and device functionality as guiding principles. The course covers not only how to operate them correctly, but also how to clean, store and maintain them to ensure reliability over time. The course is structured in clear modules with plenty of exercises, quizzes and case scenarios designed to prepare you for real-world practice.
This training focuses on medical devices in low-resource settings. While some of the models featured may be considered older in high-resources contexts, they are still widely used in hospitals and clinics around the world. Therefore, they are well suited for this training in safe and effective use.
This course is intended for nurses, medical staff, (nursing) students, biomedical technicians, medical officers and anyone with limited training in the use of medical devices. The course will be helpful for positions such as a nurse, medical staff member or (nursing) student, a biomedical technician or medical officer seeking practical training in device use, a healthcare professional or trainee already working in healthcare, who wants to strengthen their skills in medical device use.
What You'll Learn
- Identify the basic principles of essential medical devices.
- Recognize common risks, errors or malfunctions and take appropriate actions to ensure safety.
- Apply your knowledge to operate these devices correctly in order to keep patients safe and maintain device performance.
- Gain confidence in using medical devices in realistic clinical scenarios.
Details
Course Syllabus
The course consists of a welcome module, four substantive modules, and a wrap-up. Together these modules will give you the skills to use essential medical devices while keeping patients safe and the devices working correctly. At the end of each module there is a downloadable summary that you can revisit when needed. The four substantive modules will each focus on different devices:
- Module 1: Learn general good practice for the used and care of medical devices. At the end of this module, you will have the first graded assessment.
- Module 2: Study the basic working principles of ECG devices and patient monitors. The module concludes with two assessments: assessment 2 about the ECG device, and assessment 3 about patient monitors.
- Module 3: Study the basic working principles of syringe pumps/drivers and suction machines. Afterwards you will complete assessment 4 about the syringe pump, and assessment 5 about the suction machines.
- Module 4: Study the basic working principles of oxygen concentrators and defibrillators/AEDs. After this module you will complete the last two assessments: assessment 6 about oxygen concentrators and assessment 7 about defibrillators.
After completing all modules, you will be complete a final assessment combining all the topics from the course to test your overall knowledge and readiness for everyday practice.
Qualifications
Chartered Engineering Competences
All our online courses and programs have been matched to the competences determined by KIVI’s Competence Structure, a common frame of reference for everyone, across all disciplines, levels and roles.
These competences apply to this course:
- A1: Extend your theoretical knowledge of new and advancing technologies.
Admission
This is a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) that runs on edX.
Prerequisites
- None
