The Ins and Outs of the EKG Technician Role

While the main job of an EKG Technician is to perform electrocardiograms and consult with physicians about the results of diagnostic tests, they also lending a helping hand with routine physical exams and screening procedures. EKG testing is critical to patient care since it detects irregularities that may result in a heart attack or heart disease.

Here’s a quick run-through of what your daily duties would be as an EKG Technician:

• Handle EKG set-up and performance
• Prepare patients for Holter or ambulatory monitoring and stress tests
• Identify emergencies and assist physicians
• Monitor blood pressure
• Recognize cardiac rhythms and report to physicians
• Position patients
• Schedule appointments
• Explain procedures to patients

EKG Technicians are employed in a variety of healthcare settings and can work part- or full-time, which means the role is a very flexible one. And, with additional on-the-job training and/or experience, you can also develop skills such as cardiac catheterization, phonocardiography, and vectorcardiography.

Details About the EKG Technician Certification Program

We’ll start this section by answering the question posed in the title of the post. MedCerts’ EKG Technician certification program takes place over 11 weeks. Upon completion, you’ll be able to take the exam to be a Certified EKG Technician (CET).

Here’s the timeline for the individual courses:

One Week: CS 1011/Customer Service Professional

Six Weeks: HI 1014/Introduction to Human Anatomy and Medical Terminology

Four Weeks: HI 6012/Electrocardiography

Over those 11 weeks, you’ll learn the necessary medical terminology and disease processes, and gain a better understanding of healthcare settings and the roles of EKG/ECG Technicians within them. While the CET certification is all about the technical aspects of the job, the CCSP certification is also important since you’ll need finely honed customer service skills to interact with patients on a daily basis.

At MedCerts, our courses are handled through Remote Mentored Learning (RML). This means the course materials can be accessed from anywhere with a high-speed internet connection. Other than having Internet access, the only other requirements are for you to have a high school diploma or GED, complete course registration, and make your course payment.

The Benefits of MedCerts’s CET Certification Program

Our EKG Technician program takes advantage of 12 distinct eLearning components designed to keep you engaged, stimulated, and entertained throughout the entirety of the program. You’ll also be able to tap into our dedicated team of Student Success Specialists, Advisors, and Coordinators who provide expertise and support.

In addition to this assistance and encouragement, we provide:

• Textbooks (printed and ebook)
• Competency assessments
• National Certification exam fees
• Scrubs
• Stethoscope
• Career services

That last one—career services—is just one example of what we do after you’ve completed your EKG Technician training.

What Happens After You’re CET-Certified

With MedCerts, we’re still here after you’re certified to help you find full-time employment. If immediate employment is not an option, our team will work with local, regional, and national employers to find experiential learning opportunities for you after you complete the program (or during, if you want). By taking advantage of job-shadowing experiences, volunteer opportunities, externships, or internships, you can get a leg up in starting your new career.

The job titles you can pursue include (but are not limited to):

• EKG/ECG Technician
• Medical Instrument Technician
• Cardiac Technician
• Electrocardiograph Technician
• Cardiovascular Technician
• Telemetry Technician
• Cardiac Monitoring Technician
• Cardiac Stress Technician
• Holter Monitor Technician

Earn More Certifications

At MedCerts, we offer programs that include dual-certifications, making you more marketable in the job market. If this sounds appealing, we offer multiple online Medical Assistant programs where you have the opportunity to earn not only the Certified EKG Technician (CET) credential but also the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) as well as the Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) credential. With so many job seekers applying for positions in healthcare, applicants with multiple certifications tend to stand out.

Though the job opportunities for EKG Technicians are expected to grow at a rapid rate, the greatest expansion will be in specialty areas like echocardiography, vascular technology, and Holter monitoring. Technology will prompt that increased demand since highly trained candidates will be needed to operate the sophisticated equipment.

Keep in mind that while having your CET certification helps you start your healthcare career, it’s also viewed as a stepping stone for more advanced positions, such as a Phlebotomy Technician, Medical Assistant, or Patient Care Technician. Like we said at the start: there are going to be a ton of healthcare-related jobs available over the next decade. So, if you’re interested in the EKG Technician role, it’s never too early to start preparing to take advantage of the forthcoming opportunities that await on the horizon.

Ready to enroll? Then take a moment to fill out our Student Application.