Now you may be curious about the fact of whether being an EKG technician in 2022 is still worth it, well I’m here to tell you that it most definitely is.
As an EKG technician you hold the responsibilities of applying, monitoring, and measuring electrocardiography testing which makes you an important element in the healthcare facility.
How Do You Start as an EKG Technician
You are to pass the certification exam to become a licensed EKG technician. Not only do you have a responsibility to the facility you are working in, but you are responsible for measuring the heart's electrical activity of your patient. The skills needed are technology and basic living skills such as communication, attention to detail and caregiving skills.
As an EKG technician you are creating a bond with your patient, you guide and comfort your patient. You are to keep your patient informed the process of what you are going to do, attach the electrodes to the patient’s chest arms and legs, posting your patient correctly, and connecting the electrodes that are going to be in use and then you will receive the information of whether your patient has a healthy heart and lungs and if not, you are able to provide a diagnosis.
This makes being an EKG technician worth it because you aren’t just gaining the title of an EKG technician, but you are helping people figure out if their heart is in the right shape and you create bonds with your patients.
Being an EKG technician holds you high on a pedestal because there is always an increase of jobs for this profession. You wouldn’t feel unstable since there are many medicals’ services such as clinics and hospitals that are always in need of an EKG technician.
The Average EKG Technician Salary is $60,940
The best part of being in this profession is the pay, you have an estimate of $60,940 annually and $28 hourly depending on your place of employment and your place in education and certification level.
Choosing to be a healthcare technologist gives you a fulfilling career at low expense of a short length of education requirement with a variety of options to be employed.
Compared to other careers in the healthcare industry there is no requirement to attend school for a four-year bachelor’s degree. Education wise there is a requirement of a two-year associate degree which is amazing compared to other careers that require years of education and way more debt.
Advancement opportunities and Your Decisions
EKG technician is one of the few in the healthcare industry that can be pursued without certification secured. Your employer will be expecting you to be certified but places like physician offices and hospitals are able to hire you before receiving one. This allows you to get started with a fulfilling career and a paycheck that could be needed to acquire your certification training/classes.
To me being able to obtain a career at a low cost is music to my ears, working towards being an EKG technician allows you to become great at a minimum cost of not spending thousands of dollars earning a traditional degree in which many programs like K & G career academy will help you work toward your dream at not a high expense.
Within this career you can have advancement career opportunities such as moving up in your organization, stepping into a higher role with higher pay like a Certified phlebotomy technician which works hand in hand with your existing certification.
Also moving on to become a medical assistant or a patient care technician. Being an EKG tech, you are looked upon as a modern-day superhero, doctors use your information to come up with a lifesaving diagnosis.
An EKG tech must constantly look at different situations and make level headed decisions and very high situations can happen so if you are the type of individual who thrives under pressure well then this is the perfect career for you! You will be spending your day with patients who are scared and nervous so your approach to that patient goes a long way in calming them down and getting a successful heart reading, this makes you a people person always eager to help and understand / communicate with others.
The Steps to Level of Completion
Mainly EKG technician education through vocational schools or colleges and the programs are provided classroom instructions on patient care, physiology, anatomy, performing 12 lead/ 15 lead EKGS and using EKG/ ECG machines.
After completing your classroom instructions, you are offered real world learning opportunities such as internships in clinics or hospitals. Completing your classes only takes up to three weeks, isn’t that perfect while others in different medical routes spend years after years, you only must take three weeks out of your time for a better future.
Now while you might be wondering how you can take a class if you have a job to attend well, K & G career academy provides online classes morning and evening from 10am to 3pm and 5pm to 9pm.
Now if you are a fan of technology then you should definitely consider this career because you are expected to know everything within your field such as reading Holter monitors, carrying out stress tests and staying up to date on new cardiological developments.
I’m not sure if you have heard but the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics predict that health care career job growth will rise by a percentage of FOURTEEN PERCENT until 2028, giving you a relief of worry for future job placement. When looking for a job one of the worries is uniform, working in this field you have to wear a comfortable uniform of scrubs of any design or color to embrace your personality, orthopedic shoes which will help you move around comfortably.
Whether you are fit or looking to get fit, in this field of work you are constantly moving up and down hospital hallways and stairs, transporting equipment and moving patients into right positions which helps you get a healthy dose of exercise during your shifts. You will always leave work with an anecdote to tell to your loved ones, telling them about hilarious patients and how you detected an issue and saved a life.
Your Thrive for Technology and Satisfaction
Medical professionals are the heart of healthcare, they are considered the best and smartest to know the latest updates in technology, they are responsible for breakthroughs in scientific research that can provide better health care for patients. Despite the advancements in medical technology, cardiovascular diseases consistently rise at a high rate. Heart attacks and other heart ailments such as strokes have become very common which makes EKG even more critical.
You will need to have laser -like focus and attention span when following instructions of the cardiologist or physician. If you are a Grey’s Anatomy fan like me, you will be living your hospital drama dream. You might not have a ‘’McSteamy’’ in your workplace but you will be living the life of the characters in a fast-paced environment.
One of the best parts is your patients will most likely be 65 years and up or even a little less, but you will get chances to help/save a child’s life who suffers from high blood pressure or birth defects. You will also be able to help your loved ones based on your knowledge to make changes to prevent heart disease.
Satisfaction is something people use very loosely but working in this career is the definition of satisfaction, you get to end every shift knowing that you helped a new or constant patient which gives you the attitude of ‘’ When we do good, we feel good. ‘’ Being a funny and easy-going person is a big thing is the choice of work because you are approaching your patients with machines that they are going to seem as scary because they don’t know what it does, and you are to help your patient feel at ease and help not over think to not interfere with the reading of their heart.
The Education Requirements
You are to make sure you have your high school diploma, obtain on the job training, get certified and create a resume which us at K & G Career Academy help you with upon request.
Now with all the reasons I have given you to become an EKG technician, what are your thoughts? All these basic day to day skills and characteristic traits that are easy to obtain to pursue your dreams.
A salary that is high rate with very little on your part to do. Education is one major part that some are even surprised about when they figure out how little of an education is required compared to other medical jobs. This should be a career choice you should consider with all these advantages and benefits.
There are endless ways to invest in your career beyond doing top notch work, networking, improving skills and enhancing your knowledge are reliable ways to advance your professional trajectory, with these advantages it is worth taking classes to become an EKG technician.
This is coming from someone who has been considering taking a step into the medical field and this is most certainly my first option. EKG technician is worth it in 2022 !