About the Profession
Perfusionists work under the direct clinical responsibility of cardiac surgeons and anesthesiologists as part of the interprofessional operating room team. Their primary role is to maintain a patient’s respiration, circulation and physiological state, using state-of-the-art equipment like the heart-lung machine during surgery. They are also trained to safely administer blood products and drugs as part of their scope of practice. Working in the cardiac operating room is physically demanding and shifts are typically 10-12 hours at a time as surgery can be extremely complex and lengthy.
About the Program
The Michener Institute of Education at UHN received consent by the Minister of Colleges and Universities to offer this applied degree for a five-year term as of July 2021, the first cardiovascular perfusion program offered at a Master’s level in Canada and accredited by Accreditation Canada.
Accreditation is a quality improvement process that ensures educational programs meet national standards and that students acquire the knowledge, skills and competencies for safe and effective care at entry to practice. Graduates are eligible to write the Canadian certification examination (Canadian Society of Clinical Perfusion).
Curriculum - CVP
| Year | Semester | Course Code | Course Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fall | HTCV111 | Hemotherapy |
| 1 | Fall | PCCV111 | Patient Care and Professionalism |
| 1 | Fall | PSCV111 | Physiological Science I |
| 1 | Fall | PTCV110 | Perfusion Theory I |
| 1 | Winter | PDCV120 | Professional Practice |
| 1 | Winter | PMCV121 | Applied Pharmacology |
| 1 | Winter | PPCV120 | Pathophysiology |
| 1 | Winter | PTCV120 | Perfusion Theory II |
| 1 | Winter | RMCV120 | Research Methods |
| 1 | Summer | CCCV130 | Critical Care |
| 1 | Summer | CSCV130 | CVP Simulations |
| 1 | Summer | PTCV231 | Advanced Perfusion Theory |
| 1 | Summer | PPCV121 | Pathophysiology II |
| 2 | Fall | CLCV243 | Clinical Practice Phase I & II |
| 2 | Winter | CLCV253 | Clinical Practice Phase III |
| 3 | Summer – Fall – Winter | RMCV130 | Capstone Project Part 1 |
| 3 | Summer – Fall – Winter | RMCV240 | Capstone Project Part 2 |
The hands-on learning in the CVP lab equipped with high fidelity simulators is a great accompaniment to the lecture component. I look forward to using the skills and experience I have acquired from the program in my career as a perfusionist.
