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EKG Technician Training: A Matter of the Heart
EKG Technician Training: A Matter of the Heart
As an EKG technician, you can provide an essential healthcare service. But, whether you are just beginning or already an allied health professional wanting to learn a new skill, it's important to understand what EKG training involves.
What is an EKG?
Also known as an electrocardiogram or electrocardiograph, an EKG is a test that monitors and records the electrical impulses and rhythms of a patient's heart. The patient's physician can then interpret the EKG results and diagnose any heart abnormalities.
An EKG technician, sometimes also known as a cardiographic technician or an electrocardiograph technician, performs the test by first explaining the procedure to the patient. The technician then attaches electrodes to the patient's chest, arms, and legs and operates the EKG machine. Once the test is done, the technician prints out the results and prepares them for delivery to a cardiologist, the patient's doctor, or other members of a medical team.
Training to Perform EKGs
There is no single path to becoming an EKG technician. However, most EKG technicians come to the job either while studying for, or having already earned a degree in a related healthcare field. Such technicians usually receive on-the-job training from their employers, which can last from four to six weeks.
If you have not yet begun your post-secondary education, it is possible to complete an EKG technician certificate program that takes one year or less. Most employers, however, prefer to hire people with multiple skills and at least an associate's degree in allied health. For this reason, many people choose a broader course of study, often combining their EKG training with development in related skills like phlebotomy training or schooling to become a nursing aide.
Assuming you do pursue an associate's or bachelor's degree, you can expect your coursework to include subjects like anatomy and physiology, heart pathology, pharmacology, cardiovascular technology and medical ethics. Practical, hands-on training is also likely to be included, since EKG technicians and other allied health professionals must know how to use and maintain special medical equipment.
Additional Training & Career Options for EKG Technicians
It is rare for someone to work only as a basic EKG technician. Since employers like to hire people with multiple skills, it is common for EKG technicians to go beyond their primary expertise.
Holter monitoring involves connecting a patient to a portable, wearable EKG device that records their heart's activity for 24 hours. This type of EKG provides doctors with the ability to observe heart conditions that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to track in the short amount of time that a basic EKG takes.
Stress testing is a way to monitor the performance of a patient's heart while undergoing exertion. The EKG technician connects the patient to an EKG monitor, gets the patient's baseline reading and resting blood pressure, and starts the patient walking on a treadmill. Gradually, the technician increases the treadmill's speed, thus allowing for results that can clue a doctor in to whether the patient's heart strains too much during physical activity.
Holter monitoring and stress testing can be learned in separate certificate programs that take one year or less. Many EKG technicians may also have the option of on-the-job training for these specialties, which can take as long as 18 to 24 months.
EKG technicians are not required, by law, to be professionally certified. However, many people in the field do choose to gain professional certification, because most employers prefer it. The two most commonly used certifying bodies for EKG technicians are the American Society of Phlebotomy Technicians and Cardiovascular Credentialing International. Both organizations require you to pass an exam to gain certification.
Get Started
As an EKG technician, you can play a very important role in the healthcare field. If you're up to this exciting challenge, then exploring your options for EKG training schools is a great way to begin. You could soon have a career that's all heart!
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