Cardiovascular Technician Training Can Lead to a Worthwhile Job

February 16, 2005
By Mary Hobson
Mary.Hobson@hqpubilications.com
Healthcare Programs Columnist

Cardiovascular and cardio pulmonary disease are major killers in the United States - there are more than a million deaths a year attributable to this cause. If you want to be a part of the fight against cardiovascular disease, you could start by undertaking cardiovascular technician training.

A Choice of Cardiovascular Tech Jobs

Cardiovascular tech jobs are divided into three areas.

Cardiology technologists specialize in invasive surgical procedures, such as inserting a catheter (or small tube) into a patient's blood vessel leading to the heart. This allows for the diagnosis of blockages, and in some cases can allow treatment to happen at the same time, thus eliminating the need for heart surgery.
EKG technicians undertake electrocardiograph procedures. They are responsible for linking the patient to the equipment and running the test, then delivering the results to the physician.
Cardiovascular technicians run other noninvasive tests, such as ultrasound or echocardiography.

All of these cardiovascular jobs require cardiovascular education, allowing potential technicians to learn about the nature of cardiovascular disease, and how their areas of expertise will contribute to the fight against heart disease.

Cardiovascular Education Gives You a Degree of Control over Your Career

Cardiovascular technician training can be delivered in several different kinds of programs, both full-time and part-time. The first part of any cardiovascular education program will include much of the theoretical knowledge that a technician will need, including anatomy, physiology, chemistry, physics and pharmacology. This will give students a medical background for their future cardiovascular tech jobs, allowing them to put their actions into the context of the overall diagnosis and treatment processes, ultimately making informed decisions.

The second part of cardiovascular technician training is a clinical internship, which involves a cardiovascular tech job in a clinic or hospital. The internship is usually spent working alongside trained technicians to learn how to undertake the procedures the technicians upon completing their training.

This internship part of the training program is closely supervised and monitored, allowing students to become familiar with the work environment, as well as the procedures. It also gives the technician-in-training time to discuss real cases and situations with tutors and fellow workers.

Technician-level cardiovascular education is usually at the associate's or bachelor's degree level, giving a recognized qualification for your career. You can continue your cardiovascular education throughout your career, making sure that you are informed of new developments in your field and building up a resume that will help you to progress in your cardiovascular tech job.

Build Your Career in the Healthcare Service Field

After you finish your cardiovascular technician training, you can choose which specialty you would like to build your career in, and start applying for the cardiovascular jobs that you think you would enjoy.

Many students find that their clinical internship leads to a permanent position, although this is not guaranteed. Not only are you working in valuable and worthwhile work, but the healthcare industry is a good place to build a career. You would be given opportunities to progress in your specialty. You could even consider building a further career path in management, or in other more advanced technical areas.

About the Author

Mary Hobson is a consultant for technology start-ups in Russia. She has also worked as an executive officer in a defense facility and as a university lecturer in computer science and management information. Mary earned her first degree in textile marketing and subsequently studied education and computer science at a Master's degree level.

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