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Cardiology Technologist Career

Cardiology Technologist Job Description

A cardiology technologist / cardiology technician assists cardiologists, (or physicians who specialize in diagnosing and treating heart disorders).

Cardio-vascular technicians are allied health care professionals, who are chiefly in charge of setting up and operating the equipment that demonstrates the functioning of the heart, like the electrocardiograph that produces electrocardiograms and Holter monitors.

They also carry out organizational / managerial tasks, like, keeping patient records and planning appointments.

Cardiology Technologist Skills/Duties

Cardiology technicians are employed at clinics, health care centers, cardiac rehabilitation centers, hospital cardiology departments, medical schools or doctors' offices. They assist the cardiologist in diagnosing and treating various diseases of the heart and vascular system.

They specialize in invasive procedures and assist with cardiac catheterization. A small catheter / tube is looped through the artery of the patient, from the groin to the heart. Cardiac catheterization determines whether the artery that sends blood to the heart is obstructed or not.

The technologist prepares the patient for cardiac catheterization. He will position the patient on the examination table; and shave, clean, and benumb the top of the leg near the groin. Importantly, he will monitor the patient's heart rate and blood pressure during the procedure.

Cardiac technicians also prepare and supervise patients during an open heart operation and various other surgical procedures related to the heart.

Cardiac technologists also carry out non-invasive examinations like the electrocardiogram. To conduct an electrocardiogram, a cardiac technologist attaches electrodes to the patient's arms, chest and legs. He will explain the procedure to the patient and will make him feel at ease. This helps eliminate flawed readings, which could be caused due to fear, stress or anxiety. Once the electrodes are fitted, the technician controls the device, permitting the electrodes to single out the electronic signals from the heart and convey them to the machine. The ECG device has a special pen that notes down the heart beat pattern on a graph paper.

Those with further education can direct advanced cardio-vascular tests. Holter controlling comprises of a 24 to 48 hour supervision of a patient carrying out his daily routine. Electrodes are fitted to the chest of the patient, and a handy / moveable monitor is attached to the patient's waist. The monitor is scrutinized for interpretation.

Some cardiology technologists also govern the Treadmill Stress Test. The technician takes the patient's medical history, the resting heart beat, and blood pressure, and will ask the patient to walk slowly on a treadmill. The technician will gradually increase the treadmill's pace, at the same time keeping a watch on the functioning of the patient's heart. The Treadmill Stress Test determines the impact of extreme exertion on a patient's heart.

Cardiology Technologist Education and Training

• Educational and training programs for cardiology technicians teach how to correctly operate and maintain machines and devices used to assess heart’s functioning and how to conduct associated procedures, such as, ECG, Holter monitoring and stress tests. The course will also provide the necessary basic medical knowledge.

• Certificate programs are available at community colleges, universities and vocational schools, and they last for a year.

• The certificate program by and large requires you to have a high school diploma or General Equivalency Diploma (GED). Subjects like: physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics and computers science is helpful.

• Subjects studied during the Cardiac Technician Certificate Programs include, physiology, anatomy, CPR, EKG theory, medical terminology, health care basics, Holter supervision and stress test procedures.

Cardiology Technologist Job Outlook

With an enlarging healthcare system, the job prospect for all doctors, physicians and health care professionals looks good. The number of jobs for health care personnel is believed to increase faster than normal, right through 2014.

Cardiology is directly associated with intensive care and effectively handling patients. Thus, the demand for cardiovascular technicians will be high at cardiology centers and hospitals.

Cardiology Technologist Salary

The mean annual salary of a cardiology technician is about $38,690.