The EKG Technician Program in NYC: Job Role & Requirements!

Are you passionate about saving lives and interested in becoming a critical member of the healthcare team? If so, enrolling in EKG Technician certification courses in NYC can be a good career option. Working in the healthcare industry can be profitable if you're comfortable working with the latest equipment and people, and moreover, you can start your career within three months or less!

What is An EKG Training Program?

This training program prepares students to function as EKG technicians by acquiring all the required education and skills. This training course covers the anatomy and physiology of the heart, cardiovascular disease processes and terminology, medical ethics and legal aspects of patient contact, electrocardiography and echocardiography, usage of an EKG machine, lead placement, and chest wall anatomy.

The job role of EKG Technician:

• Conducting cardiovascular tests of patients.

• Keep patients calm and informed on every step of the procedure.
• Identifying and diagnosing heart state.
• Recording cardiovascular data for analysis by doctors.
• Assisting doctors and nurses.
• Setting up complex EKG components, including EKG tracings
• Maintaining desired safety standards at a medical facility.
• Monitoring EKG equipment and pin-point any malfunctions.
• Executing the physician’s ultimate diagnosis and course of action.
• Remove and store all types of equipment after testing.
• Examine that all EKG equipment is in good working condition.
• Contact medical equipment repair specialists if any issue arises.
• Requests latest EKG testing equipment or supplies if needed.

Requirements:

Once you get admission to the EKG training program and become a certified EKG technician, then you will be expected to perform several tasks at the hospital, medical facility, or physician's office where you will be employed. As an EKG technician, you should be able to operate needful equipment, confirm the precision of test data, and do other associated responsibilities.

Acquiring a position as an EKG technician involves a few requirements, as mentioned below:

1. Education

To get enrolled in the EKG technician certification course, you need a high school diploma or GED. Then you can proceed with a certificate program, a two-year associate degree, or a four-year bachelor’s degree, as per your choice. Although certification and higher education are not certainly required, most employers prefer job aspirants to at least be certified and may not hire them without certification.

2. Training

• An EKG technician should be trained in reading, monitoring, and reporting EKG tests precisely and accurately.
• They know how to communicate with physicians, nurses, and other professionals to provide proper healthcare to patients.
• They are well-versed in using electrocardiography equipment, interpreting and calculating data, relating to patients, and understanding their difficulties and stress.

Generally, there are three ways to get the training to become an EKG technician:

• First, complete a one-year training program.
• Second, doing on-the-job training after hiring.
• Third, complete a degree program, which includes practical training besides classroom learning.

3. Certifications

Find a reputed educational institution that provides certification for EKG technicians:

EKG technician certification course: A Certified EKG Technician, involves an exam with multiple-choice and pretest questions. The National Healthcare Association conducts this test. To qualify for the exam, you must have completed some on-the-job training and accomplished at least 10 EKGs. The EKG certification exam uses a scaled scoring system ranging from 200 to 500 and a passing score of 390 on a scale of about 78%.

4. Skills

As an EKG technician, you need a variety of hard and soft skills to succeed in this field-

• Attention to detail: An EKG technician must have undivided attention to detail to follow hospital procedures. You may review patient tests and need to figure out if there is a life-threatening irregularity with their heartbeat. If there is such a heart condition, you must follow the hospital protocol to alert the doctor and describe what is happening to the patient.

• Better Communication: Being an EKG technician requires excellent verbal and written communication skills to interact with patients and hospital staff and file precise reports. You may need to communicate test results to the patient’s doctor or the patient.

• Empathy: In this medical field, you need to clearly and calmly explain to the patient what you do as you do to soothe worried patients. For example, you can alert the patient when you place adhesive pads that are connected to wires and that are connected to the EKG machine. You need to master the quality of remaining calm and help keep the patients calm to ensure that you get accurate results.

• Physical Fitness and Stamina: EKG technicians need to be physically fit and have good stamina. You are on your feet for hours at a time. You may need to go back and forth between the patient and the machine or between the doctor and the workroom. You may have back-to-back patients and will require stamina to help the patient remain calm while getting everything set up.

• Technological skills: An EKG technician uses computers and advanced electrocardiograph equipment on a regular basis, so you must have the necessary technical skills to troubleshoot and maintain equipment to perform accurate tests.

So, if you’re interested in this in-demand career and want to get more out of your profession, you should start learning skills by enrolling in an accredited EKG training program in NYC.