Do you know you can complete an EKG technician training on-the-job and be as good as someone who earned an associate degree from one of the many accredite EKG tech schools? Is the work of an EKG technician as complex as other technician jobs in allied health care services?
Electrocardiograph (EKG) technicians work with equipment that track electrical impulses transmitted by the heart. They are under the supervision of a cardiologist, a doctor specializing in heart conditions and ailments. Although handling technical equipment, the training to become an EKG technician can be gained even without enrolling in a formal school. The results are just as effective because on-the-job training necessitates a higher degree of concentration to learn and perform the tasks properly since you are in a ìreal lifeî situation.
The easiest technician job
1. If you've had related medical education before deciding to venture as EKG technician then training will be a breeze for you. Nurses and other medical technicians enroll in an EKG technician training program upgrade their skills. In medical offices or doctor's clinics, even medical assistants know the procedure and can actually operate EKG machines. Once the test is completed, they simply give the physician the reading for interpretation and evaluation.
2. Training offered in technical or vocational schools can be completed in as little as eight to 16 weeks, underscoring the fact it isn't difficult to learn and master the skills. These short-term courses are certificate programs. Your job as EKG technician is to help the doctor determine if a patient has blockages in their blood vessels, which leads to a heart ailment. The EKG testing machine consists of electrodes that are placed on certain parts of the body (chest, arms and legs) to trace impulses from the heart that is recorded by the machine and printed.
3. With adequate EKG technician training you will later be able to understand the EKG results but other than explaining to patients the procedure and making them comfortable (some may require body hair to be shaved before the electrodes can be attached) throughout the test, you are not allowed to disclose findings to them. Only the doctor can discuss this with the patient. But communication and patient care skills are important for an EKG technician. The value of an associate degree
If you can master the skills of this job in the short term, why choose an associate degree program that will usually take two years to complete? The fact is: a simple job won't pay as much. Without advance EKG technician training, your average annual EKG technician salary is around $24,000. The reality is the more education you have relative to the work at hand, the higher your value to an employer.
1. An associate degree program will train you in the use of the standard EKG equipment, orient you on medical terminology and underscore patient safety and medical ethics. You will also have instructions on cardiovascular technology.
2. Additionally, and this is where you differ from other technical or on-the-job training, you learn how to perform the Holter monitoring and stress testing procedures, which are more specialized procedures also used to diagnose and evaluate cardiovascular health.
3. These additional skills will spell the difference in the salary paid to an EKG technician. You can up your pay to $32,000 or even as high as $41,000 if your training makes you competent in both Holter monitoring and stress testing aside from just operating the standard EKG machine. Others claim there are EKG technicians earning upwards of $50,000, depending on their workplace, locality and the responsibilities they hold.
4. Most employers also prefer their technicians to already be familiar with cardiovascular technology, which you learn in an EKG technician training at the associate level. Just make sure your school is accredited by the Commission on Accredited Allied Health Professionals. Moreover, higher education will make it easier for you to get certification. So if you want to be part of the allied health care industry but not put in so much in terms of training at the beginning, an EKG technician training may be a good option.
