MyCAA-APPROVED HEALTHCARE PROGRAM

EKG TECHNICIAN

EKG technicians are in demand! EKG technicians work in physician’s offices, hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities and organizations.

CERTIFICATION: ASPT-EKG

PROGRAM COSTS: Varies

COURSE CONTACT HOURS: 375

PROGRAM DURATION: 4 Months

EXTERNSHIP AVAILABLE: Yes

COURSES AVAILABLE THROUGH

Tyler Junior College TJC-EK05
Download TJC Course Outline

Texas A&M TAMIU-EK05
Download TAMIU Course Outline

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The EKG Technician Profession

EKG technicians are in demand! EKG technicians work in physician’s offices, hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities and organizations. EKG technicians also work for insurance companies to provide data for health and life insurance policies. Similar to other growing healthcare professions, the demand for EKG technicians is expected to continue to grow substantially. Approximately 25% more EKG technician jobs will be available by the year 2018.

The EKG Technician Program

This EKG Technician Program prepares students to perform EKG’s. This course will include information on anatomy and physiology of the heart, medical disease processes, medical terminology, medical ethics, legal aspects of patient contact, electrocardiography and stress testing. A highly interactive course!

This EKG Technician program prepares students to function as EKG technicians. This course covers the following key areas and topics:

Detailed anatomy and physiology of the heart
Medical disease processes and terminology
Medical ethics and legal aspects of patient contact
Electrocardiography and echocardiography
An introduction to the components, function, and proper use of the EKG machine
The normal anatomy of the chest wall for proper lead placement
12-lead placement and other practices

Detailed Course Information

Role of the EKG technician
Function of the EKG department in a variety of settings (hospital, clinic, office, mobile service)
Medical terminology related to electrocardiography
Care and safety of patients including medical and legal aspects of patient care
Anatomy and physiology of the cardiovascular system
Electrophysiology, the conduction system of the heart, and the cardiac cycle
Circulation of blood through the heart and vessels
Lead placement for 12-lead electrocardiography

Basic EKG interpretation of normal rhythms and arrhythmias
EKG troubleshooting including recognizing artifacts
Waves and measurements
EKG strip analysis (P,Q,R,S,T wave-form interpretation)
Identification of rhythms using the 12-lead EKG
Pacemakers
Holter monitoring and the echocardiogram

Education and Certifications

EKG Technicians should have or be pursuing a high school diploma or GED.
There are several EKG technician national certification exams that are available to students, such as the ASPT – Electrocardiograph (EKG) Technician exam

Technical Requirements

WINDOWS USERS

Windows 7, XP or Vista
56K modem or higher
Soundcard & Speakers
Firefox, Chrome or Microsoft Internet Explorer

MAC OS USERS

Mac OS X or higher (in classic mode)
56K modem or higher
Soundcard & Speakers
Apple Safari

SUPPORTED BROWSERS

System will support the two latest releases of each browser. When using older versions of a browser, users risk running into problems with the course software.

Windows Users: Firefox, Chrome, Explorer
Mac OS Users: Safari, Chrome, Firefox

SCREEN RESOLUTION

We recommend setting your screen resolution to 1024 x 768 pixels.

SUGGESTED PLUGINS

Flash Player
Real Player
Adobe Reader
Java

U.S. Department of Labor

Career Information

The information below provides helpful job information, statistics and projections for this program’s related career tracts.

Career	Median Salary	Job Openings	Growth Rate
Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians	$55,570	3,500	10% to 14%	show details
Description
Conduct tests on pulmonary or cardiovascular systems of patients for diagnostic purposes. May conduct or assist in electrocardiograms, cardiac catheterizations, pulmonary functions, lung capacity, and similar tests. Includes vascular technologists.
Job Titles Include
Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory Technologist, Cardiac Catheterization Technician, Cardiac Technician, Cardiology Technician, Cardiopulmonary Technician, Cardiovascular Technician, Cardiovascular Technologist (CVT), Electrocardiogram Technician (EKG Technician), Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS)
Wages	Bottom 15%	Median Salary	Top 10%
United States	$28,650	$55,570	$89,450
Employment	current employment 2016	projected job openings 2016 - 2026	projected growth 2016 - 2026
United States	53,760	3,500	10% to 14%
typical tasks
Conduct electrocardiogram (EKG), phonocardiogram, echocardiogram, stress testing, or other cardiovascular tests to record patients' cardiac activity, using specialized electronic test equipment, recording devices, or laboratory instruments. Explain testing procedures to patients to obtain cooperation and reduce anxiety. Monitor patients' blood pressure and heart rate using electrocardiogram (EKG) equipment during diagnostic or therapeutic procedures to notify the physician if something appears wrong. Obtain and record patient identification, medical history, or test results. Monitor patients' comfort and safety during tests, alerting physicians to abnormalities or changes in patient responses. Prepare and position patients for testing. Attach electrodes to the patients' chests, arms, and legs, connect electrodes to leads from the electrocardiogram (EKG) machine, and operate the EKG machine to obtain a reading. Adjust equipment and controls according to physicians' orders or established protocol. Check, test, and maintain cardiology equipment, making minor repairs when necessary, to ensure proper operation. Supervise or train other cardiology technologists or students. Compare measurements of heart wall thickness and chamber sizes to standard norms to identify abnormalities. Maintain a proper sterile field during surgical procedures. Observe ultrasound display screen and listen to signals to record vascular information, such as blood pressure, limb volume changes, oxygen saturation, or cerebral circulation. Assist surgeons with vascular procedures, such as preparing balloons and stents. Assist physicians in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac or peripheral vascular treatments, such as implanting pacemakers or assisting with balloon angioplasties to treat blood vessel blockages.
Radiologic Technicians	$41,070	11,000	15% or higher	show details
Description
Maintain and use equipment and supplies necessary to demonstrate portions of the human body on x-ray film or fluoroscopic screen for diagnostic purposes.
Job Titles Include
Chief Technician, X-Ray (Chief Tech, X-Ray); Limited Radiology Technician; Radiologic Technician (RT); Radiology Technician (Radiology Tech); Registered Radiographer; X-Ray Technician (X-Ray Tech)
Wages	Bottom 15%	Median Salary	Top 10%
United States	$26,990	$41,070	$71,280
Employment	current employment 2016	projected job openings 2016 - 2026	projected growth 2016 - 2026
United States	128,000	11,000	15% or higher
typical tasks
Position x-ray equipment and adjust controls to set exposure factors, such as time and distance. Use beam-restrictive devices and patient-shielding techniques to minimize radiation exposure to patient and staff. Position patient on examining table and set up and adjust equipment to obtain optimum view of specific body area as requested by physician. Process exposed radiographs using film processors or computer generated methods. Explain procedures to patients to reduce anxieties and obtain cooperation. Determine patients' x-ray needs by reading requests or instructions from physicians. Prepare and set up x-ray room for patient. Make exposures necessary for the requested procedures, rejecting and repeating work that does not meet established standards. Operate digital picture archiving communications systems. Transport patients to or from exam rooms. Provide assistance to physicians or other technologists in the performance of more complex procedures. Operate mobile x-ray equipment in operating room, emergency room, or at patient's bedside. Perform procedures, such as linear tomography, mammography, sonograms, joint and cyst aspirations, routine contrast studies, routine fluoroscopy, or examinations of the head, trunk, or extremities under supervision of physician. Coordinate work of other technicians or technologists when procedures require more than one person. Collect and maintain records of patients examined, examinations performed, patient medical histories, views taken, or technical factors used.

I had someone there every step of the way. They walked me through what could have been a very stressful process. It put me on a path that started an epic journey.

-Kasey, Fort Riley

Everything was easy and my advisor with The Major Group walked me through it all. This was my third time going to college and by far the least stressful enrollment process.

-Felicia, Ft. Campbell

I loved the whole process. Everyone was very helpful and made sure that the program I wanted to join was something I wanted to do. It also helped me put my goals in place.

-Crystal, Fort Riley

There was a lot of help along the way, which was great. It was smooth and everything went well.

-Elizabeth, Fort Gordon

It was easy, simple, and quick. There was someone there every step of the way to help you fill out all the required documents. I would recommend to all military spouses who want to go to school, especially if you’re a stay-at-home spouse.

-Aeisha, Hunter Army Air Field

Everything was very easy to do and got done rather quickly from start to finish.

-Anne, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii

The enrollment process was quick and easy. Lots of help when needed.

-Rita, NAS JRB Fort Worth

"I had someone there every step of the way. They walked me through what could have been a very stressful process. It put me on a path that started an epic journey."

-Kasey, Fort Riley

"Everything was easy and my advisor with The Major Group walked me through it all. This was my third time going to college and by far the least stressful enrollment process."

-Felicia, Ft. Campbell

"I loved the whole process. Everyone was very helpful and made sure that the program I wanted to join was something I wanted to do. It also helped me put my goals in place."

-Crystal, Fort Riley

"There was a lot of help along the way, which was great. It was smooth and everything went well."

-Elizabeth, Fort Gordon

"It was easy, simple, and quick. There was someone there every step of the way to help you fill out all the required documents. I would recommend to all military spouses who want to go to school, especially if you’re a stay-at-home spouse."

-Aeisha, Hunter Army Air Field

"Everything was very easy to do and got done rather quickly from start to finish."

-Anne, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii

"The enrollment process was quick and easy. Lots of help when needed."

-Rita, NAS JRB Fort Worth

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