Health Career: Electrocardiogram (EKG) Technician
Who are EKG technicians and what do they do?
EKG technicians use an electrocardiogram machine (an electronic monitor that reads a patient's heart rhythms through electrodes placed on the patient's skin) to study heart rates and activity. They help diagnose heart disease and analyze changes to patients' hearts over time.
How do EKG technicians typically spend their workday?
As an EKG technician, you will work in hospitals or clinics as part of a medical team. You will often work in emergency medical situations that can be stressful. For example, you may use an EKG machine to test the cardiac response of someone who has just experienced a stroke. You will attach the patient to the machine with electrodes, move the electrodes across the patient's chest and adjust the switches on the EKG machine to get a good reading. After this patient receives medical care, you will continue to test his or her responses with the EKG machine to monitor his or her heart health over time. For someone who has ongoing chest pains, you may hook them up to a Holter, a 24-hour EKG machine that measures their heart rate. You will also lead patients through exercises on a treadmill and measure their responses with an EKG machine.
What does it take to be a good EKG technician?
If you have strong technical ability, enjoy working with machinery and are eager to help improve people’s health, you should consider being an EKG technician. You should also have an interest in medicine and human biology.
What are some health-related jobs that are similar to that of an EKG technician?
Cardiopulmonary technologist, EEG technologist, EMT, respiratory therapist, ultrasound technologist, X-ray technologist
Related links and helpful information:
