More About EKG Technicians

If you can handle pressure without batting an eye, an EKG technician career may prove rewarding. When you become an EKG technician, you'll work closely with cardiologists to perform EKGs and collect important data for diagnosis.

What does an EKG technician do?
EKG technicians perform electrocardiograms, which trace electrical impulses transmitted by the heart, to assist physicians in diagnosing and treating cardiac ailments. Electrocardiograms are considered noninvasive tests because they don't require the insertion of probes or other instruments into the patient's body. To take a basic EKG, technicians attach electrodes to the patient's chest, arms, and legs, and manipulate switches on an EKG machine to obtain a reading. Technicians then record the electrical impulses and transmit the data to physicians for evaluation.

The day-to-day responsibilities of an EKG technician range from routine to nail-biting - they may perform electrocardiograms as part of a patient's regular checkup or assist a cardiac arrest team during an emergency procedure. Technicians operate and care for testing equipment, explain test procedures, and compare findings to a standard to identify problems. In all situations, EKG technicians must have the ability to remain calm and deal with patients in a sensitive manner.

With advanced training, EKG technicians may perform Holter monitor and stress testing. For Holter monitoring, technicians place electrodes on the patient's chest, attaches a portable EKG monitor to the patient's belt, and check the quality of the recorded impulses after about 24 hours of normal patient activity. For a treadmill stress test, EKG technicians connect the patient to an EKG monitor and obtain a baseline reading and resting blood pressure. They monitor the heart's performance while the patient is walking on a treadmill, gradually increasing the speed of the treadmill to observe the effect of increased exertion.

How much do EKG technicians get paid and what kinds of EKG technician jobs can I get?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), median annual earnings of EKG technicians were $47,010 in May 2008. The top 10 percent earned $74,760, and the bottom 10 percent earned $25,510. The top-paying industries for EKG technicians were offices of other health practitioners ($59,580), medical and diagnostic laboratories ($58,080), management of companies and enterprises ($57,900), offices of physicians ($52,240), and local government ($48,140).

The majority of EKG technicians work in cardiology departments of public or private hospitals. But if life in the ER sounds a bit too hectic, positions are also available in physicians' offices and medical laboratories, including diagnostic imaging centers. With experience, EKG technicians may be employed in educational settings or conduct laboratory work.

Overall, the field of cardiovascular technology is expected to increase by 26 percent between 2006 and 2016, reports the BLS. However, that doesn't necessarily translate into endless job opportunities for EKG technicians because many hospitals are training nursing aides to perform basic electrocardiograms. That means EKG technicians who are trained in advanced procedures like Holter monitoring and stress testing will have the best prospects. If you're calm under pressure and you're able to complete a certification program, you'll be more likely to find success as an EKG technician.

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