What is a Cardio-Phlebotomy Technician?
It’s essentially a 2-in-1 job in healthcare. This position combines the skills of an electrocardiograph (EKG or ECG) technician and a phlebotomist technician into one medical role.
By having someone who can perform both of the skill sets required of each job, it allows for a seamless workflow within the medical industry.
What Does a Cardio-Phlebotomy Technician Do?
Depending on where you work, your role and duties as a cardio-phlebotomy technician may vary. You may also be hired as one or the other (an EKG technician or a phlebotomist) and fill-in for the opposite role as needed.
Phlebotomist duties may include:
- Draw blood from patients and/or donors
- Label blood vials after draw
- Enter patient information into computer system
- Assemble and keep instruments in a tidy, clean fashion
- Maintain sanitary work stations
- Keep patients calm during blood draws
EKG tech duties may include:
- Prepare patients for procedure
- Prep diagnostic imaging equipment for procedure
- Operate equipment to conduct tests
- Adhere electrodes to a patient’s chest, arms, and legs
- Review images or test results for clarity
- Recognize normal and abnormal images
- Provide summary to doctor for diagnosis/treatment steps
- Monitor stress testing
Where Can I Work as a Cardio-Phlebotomy Technician?
As a cardio-phlebotomy technician, you can expect that your skills will be in high demand. When you’re dually trained, you’ll also be able to ask for a higher pay rate since you can fill-in for both EKG technicians and phlebotomists. More often than not, you’ll find positions where both work skill sets are preferred.
The largest employers of phlebotomists and EKG technicians are:
- Hospitals
- Medical and diagnostic labs
- Ambulatory health services
- Physicians’ offices
- Outpatient care centers
Most of the facilities you’ll work in will need full-time positions filled. Some employers may require working shifts over the holidays, weekends, and sometimes nights. It all will be dependent on if the location you work at is open normal business hours or 24/7.
What Kind of Career Opportunities Await?
Once you become a certified cardio-phlebotomy technician, the opportunities of working in healthcare are endless. Whether you want to work in a hospital or travel along with a blood donor bus, your options are wide open.
You can easily step into roles like:
- EKG Technician
- ECG Technician
- Medical Instrument Technician
- Electrocardiograph Technician
- Cardiac Technician
- Telemetry Technician
- Cardiac Monitoring Technician
- Cardiovascular Technician
- Cardiac Stress Technician
- Holter Monitor Technician
The average pay salary is estimated between $28,000 to $48,000. Depending on your experience and location, pay rates vary.
As you can see, there are a lot of roles you can apply for with this dual certification. If you’re interested in an advanced healthcare role, working as a cardio-phlebotomy technician will give you a better inside look into the medical world and exposure to other departments and professionals to help you make those career steps faster and more wisely.
Ready to be certified as a cardio-phlebotomy technician? Learn more now about our 21-week program!
