Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians

• Conduct electrocardiogram (EKG), phonocardiogram, echocardiogram, stress testing, or other cardiovascular tests to record patients' cardiac activity, using specialized electronic test equipment, recording devices, or laboratory instruments.
• Explain testing procedures to patients to obtain cooperation and reduce anxiety.
• Monitor patients' blood pressure and heart rate using electrocardiogram (EKG) equipment during diagnostic or therapeutic procedures to notify the physician if something appears wrong.
• Obtain and record patient identification, medical history, or test results.
• Attach electrodes to the patients' chests, arms, and legs, connect electrodes to leads from the electrocardiogram (EKG) machine, and operate the EKG machine to obtain a reading.
• Prepare and position patients for testing.
• Monitor patients' comfort and safety during tests, alerting physicians to abnormalities or changes in patient responses.
• Adjust equipment and controls according to physicians' orders or established protocol.
• Check, test, and maintain cardiology equipment, making minor repairs when necessary, to ensure proper operation.
• Supervise or train other cardiology technologists or students.

Source: O*NET OnLine information for Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians.

• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
• Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
• Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

Source: O*NET OnLine information for Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians.