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EKG Technician Training Schools

EKG technicians trace electrical impulses in the heart by setting up patients for EKG tests. This requires appropriately attaching all of the electrodes to the patient and then printing out the results. If the technicians go on to get advanced training they can also perform the Holter monitor and stress testing for further examination of the heart. While the techs do not read the results, they must be skilled in setting up the tests to ensure the results are accurate.

  1. On the Job Training

    • Many EKG techs are trained on the job. By getting a position in a hospital as a clerk, you can request to be trained on the machine. Some hospitals allow for such training so the clerks can perform multiple duties, cutting down on the cost of overhead for the hospital. This type of training typically lasts between eight and 16 weeks. You would be trained by the EKG supervisor or a cardiologist and signed off by your supervisor to be allowed to work as an EKG technician.

    One-year EKG Technician Programs

    • One-year EKG technician programs are available. Graduates walk out with the advanced certification for Holter monitoring and stress testing. Holter monitoring involves hooking a patient up to a portable EKG monitor. The patient then wears the device through at least 24 hours of regular activity to map how their heart responds throughout the day. Stress tests require the technician to record a "base" level for the patient and then, through a series of different speeds on a treadmill, see how the patient's heart responds.

    Colleges

    • Colleges that offer EKG certification include Northwestern State University in Evanston, Ill.; Keiser University with campuses all over Florida; Concorde Career College with campuses throughout the U.S.; ECPI College of Technology in Newport News, Va.; and Agrosy University in the Twin Cities, Minn. All of the schools offer EKG certification as part of an associate degree of applied science in radiologic technology or radiography. Students can take just the EKG portion for certification or can go on to complete the entire degree.

    Online Programs

    • EKG certification can also be obtained online at places such as Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences and Pima Medical Institute. The schools also offer an associate degree and place students in an externship upon completion. Students may just take the EKG certification course to start working as a technician. Many hospitals require would-be technicians to take such a course during on-the-job training but might offer it on the premises.

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