Interested in exploring entry-level careers in cardiology? EKG technicians work directly with patients and providers to test and provide results for cardiac electric activity. Discover how becoming a technician can set you on a path toward a rewarding career in healthcare.
What Is An EKG Technician
An electrocardiograph (EKG) technician is a certified healthcare professional who specializes in reading the hearts electrical activity through the use of a specialized cardiograph machine.
What Does An EKG Technician Do?
EKG technicians are responsible for preparing and administering EKGs. Electrocardiographs, or EKGs, are used to read the electrical activity of a patient’s heart. EKGs are helpful in both assessing the overall health of a patient’s heart or used to potentially diagnose and identify abnormalities within the heart. Some common job duties and responsibilities include:
- Preparing patient for EKG reading
- Placing EKG readers in patients’ body
- Collecting EKG reading
- Explaining EKG process and procedure to patient and patients’ family
- Recording and reading EKG results
Where Do EKG Technicians Work?
EKG technicians can be found working in multiple different healthcare settings. The most common places for technicians to work is in hospitals, clinics, urgent care centers, physician offices, or cardiology centers. Hospitals are the primary work location for technicians is working alongside physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals to administer and deliver results.
How Do You Become An EKG Technician?
The path to becoming a technician includes a combination of post-secondary education and professional certification. After graduating from high school with a diploma, those interested in pursuing the field should enroll in higher education certificate, associate or bachelor programs focused on the field of study. While specific hiring practices vary by employer, most technicians receive a non-degree post-secondary certificate before pursing certification and licensure through a certifying board.
What Is The Career Outlook Of An EKG Technician?
Becoming a technician is a great way to gain exposure to the medical field and is commonly used as a stepping stone toward higher-level positions in healthcare. Technicians have many options when condition advancement opportunities, including roles as medical assistants, registered nurses, pharmacy technicians, or transitioning to the administrative side of healthcare.
