Are you interested in becoming an EKG technician? If so, you will be joining a quickly growing field as there are more and more people in need of EKGs due to heart problems that are genetic or due to a poor diet and lack of exercise. Most of these EKG technologists are employed in hospitals. In this article we’ll discuss about EKG technician salary, what he does, the job description, duties and rules.
First, you will need to know about what the job of an EKG technician consists of. An EKG technologist helps doctors with the diagnosis of blood vessel and heart problems. They will operate testing equipment and monitor the heart rates of patients. They also will review patient files and talk with the patient and explain the procedures of the EKG to the patient. This means that an EKG tech needs to be friendly and caring as they are dealing with insecure and worried patients. They will take EKGs, which are tests that will trace the electrical impulses that have been transmitted by the heart. When an EKG is administered, electrodes have been placed on the legs, arms, and the chest of the patient. Then the results will be printed from the EKG so that it can be evaluated by the patient’s doctor. The EKG is usually given before surgery is done.
With additional training, an EKG technologist can become an EKG technician who performs the Holter monitor and stress testing. The average EKG technician salary is higher than the technologist’s, so this might be a reason to motivate you. With the Holter monitor, electrodes are placed on the chest of the patient and then an EKG monitor is put on the belt of the patient to collect information. Then the patient will continue with regular activity for a time period of twenty-four hours while being monitored. The doctor will analyze the results of the test. There is also a treadmill stress test that can be administered. First, the EKG technician will check the patient’s resting blood pressure and will take the vitals of the patient first to get a baseline measure. Then the patient will walk on the treadmill and the technician will increase the speed of the treadmill to see how the patient handles it. While all of this is ongoing, the heart rate of the patient is being observed and documented.
An EKG technologist will typically work five days a week, but some may work evenings and weekends. EKG technologists need to be able to move the patients, so they need to be strong too. They will need to have a two year associates degree or a bachelor’s degree to get this job. Programs attended for this career need to be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Professionals. Much of the training for this job will occur on the job itself.
Along with the necessary training and education, EKG technologists should also have certain personal qualities. They need to have very good communication skills as they must be able to explain the procedures to the patient and put them at ease. They also need to be friendly and caring, as the patients are often under a good deal of stress at this point. This will also count for the salary that you’ll get as an EKG technician. Additionally, they need to appear to have a relaxed attitude to not stress out the patient and they need to be able to handle stressful situations well. They should be responsible with equipment and detailed with note taking and record keeping. They also need to be knowledgeable about the procedures.
EKG Technician Salary
If you are interested in this field, you will be happy to know that this field has very good employment opportunities, and this is expected to continue. The average EKG technician salary is about $47,000 a year, yet some can make more than $74,000 a year. Of course the amount of money you earn in a year will be determined by your geographic location, your experience, your training and education, and your work history.
EKG Technician Salary,