Cardiovascular Technologist, Cardiovascular Technologist Schools, Training, Jobs, and Careers

What is a Cardiovascular Technologist?
If we live long enough, eventually age begins to catch up with us. Our heart begins to slow down. Our blood vessels begin to clog. I could go on. The slowing down of the heart and clogging of the blood vessels can lead to strokes and heart attacks.

One of the medical assistant careers that help us with this is the cardiovascular technologist. These technologists work with doctors and cardiologists to do diagnostic and therapeutic examination of the heart and blood vessels. In the course of performing their job, they do things like:

1. Explain the diagnostic procedure to the patient

2. Obtain the medical history of the patient to gain understanding of what may impact the procedure

3. Prepare the patient for the diagnostic by cleaning and shaving the areas of the skin that will be tested

4. Determine and calibrate the equipments and machines for the test

5. Monitor the patients vital signs, like blood pressure and heart rate, during test

6. Adjust the patient’s position during test based on feedback

7. Respond to emergency that may result form the diagnosis

8. Update and keep patients’ medical records

9. Maintain the diagnostic equipments, machines, and devices

11. Etc.

Some people confuse cardiovascular technologists with cardiovascular technicians. The difference is the level of education and work done. The technologist is trained to do more than the technician.

Because of training, the technologist can do all the things a technician can do, as listed above. But unlike the technician, the technologist can also do invasive procedures.

How to Become a Cardiovascular Technologist:
The first step to becoming a cardio tech is to obtain your high school diploma or GED. You should take courses in biology, chemistry, computer science, etc. After you meet the above requirement, you then need to apply to a cardiology technology school.

A cardiology technology program will take you from 2 to 4 years to complete. The length of time will depend on if you are getting an associate degree or a bachelor’s degree. You can expect to take classes in:

a. Introduction to Cardiovascular Technology
b. EKG Theory and Practice
c. Medical Instrumentation
d. Invasive Cardiovascular Technology
e. Noninvasive Cardiovascular Technology
f. Vascular Imaging
g. Vascular Pathology
h. Etc.

The requirement for certification varies from state to state and employer to employer. Some states and employers require that you be certified while others do not. We encourage you to be certified. This will make gaining employment a lot easier.

You can get certification through the Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI). You can also get certification through the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS).

Cardiovascular Technologist Salary:
You can look forward to being paid handsomely if you become a cardiovascular technologist. They make an average salary of $70,000 per year. We have seen salaries that go as high as $78,000 per year. This will depend on your location, experience, and level of education and responsibility.

Cardiovascular Technologist School:
There are not a lot of schools that offer cardiovascular tech program. As always, we got you covered! You need to go here to find the school in your area. Just click this link to find the school that best meets your needs.

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