Overview
This program was designed to help you pass the Certified EKG Technician (CET) exam and set you up for success as part of a fast-paced cardiology team. You’ll learn how to operate the electrocardiogram - an essential piece of hospital equipment—and work with doctors to interpret the results for patients. If you’re ready to jump into the action ASAP, EKG technician training is the course of action for you.
Program Timeline
We make it easy for you to find your own pace and are with you every step of the way.
8 months of program access
Training Format
Training to become an EKG tech isn’t just quick, it’s crazy convenient too. You can access the fully online EKG coursework anywhere and anytime you have WiFi. Learn on your own schedule, at your own pace.
Learn from home (or anywhere)
Study online (anytime)
Support
Stuck on a topic? Test-related questions? Need general career advice? Contact us any time—we’re here to help you nail this!
1:1 support
Phone, live chat, and email
EKG Technician Program Modules
Our program is divided into 16 courses, and it covers skills such as Holter monitoring and stress testing.
Program Orientation: EKG Technician
- Identify the elements, expectations, and requirements of the program.
- Navigate the program using the pages, menus, and buttons provided.
- Use the program tools, including the study planner, grade book, and completion report. Students will also be able to contact CareerStep using communication tools, including phone, email, forums, chat rooms, and social media.
- Identify and use program resources.
HealthCare Foundational Knowledge and Basic Science
- Summarize the medical assisting profession.
- Translate medical terminology using abbreviations, word building, and important terms.
- Explain how nutrition knowledge relates to health and disease.
- Identify the role psychology plays in dealing with patients and their behavior.
General Patient Care
- Summarize the pharmacology basics needed by a medical assistant
- Outline the tasks required to prepare the examination room and the patient for examination.
- Summarize the medical assistant’s responsibilities in assisting the provider with examinations.
- Identify the steps for responding to patient emergency situations in a general patient care facility.
- Describe the tasks required to properly maintain medical records and documentation.
- Learn to check vital signs.
Infection Control
- Review the causes and diagnostic methods of various infectious and communicable diseases.
- Explore the protective measures required to prevent infection.
- Outline the treatments and protective measures required to manage and control the spread of infectious disease.
- Identify procedures and protocols for responding to infection control.
Externship Readiness Skills
- Explore CareerStep Community career resources.
- Develop effective time management skills.
- Enhance your creative and critical thinking.
- Integrate critical and creative thinking skills into your life.
- Learn physical and emotional coping techniques to deal with stress.
- Explore essential ingredients of the communication process.
- Acquire methods to maximize verbal, nonverbal, and written communication.
- Relate the importance of professional image to career success.
- Learn strategies to write a powerful resume.
- Identify key elements of successful interviews.
- Relate the importance of good study habits to your personal success.
- Identify traits related to self-motivation and self-esteem.
- Incorporate a positive and professional attitude in dealing with others.
- Understand that failures are important learning tools.
Patient Care Coordination and Education
- Review how to administer and coordinate general patient care according to professional best practices.
- Explore the role and responsibilities in administering patient care.
- Explore the role and responsibilities in facilitating patient education.
- Summarize basic communication best practices and potential barriers to effective communication with patients.
Communication and Customer Service in the Healthcare Office
- Identify the various types and styles of communication used in a healthcare office.
- Review how verbal, non-verbal, and written communication skills contribute to patient experience and outcome in a health care office.
- Identify professional communication techniques for a healthcare office, including interviewing techniques and use of medical terminology and patient-accessible language.
- Explore modified communication for patients with special considerations.
- Outline protocols for providing customer service for a health care office.
Medical Laws and Ethics
- Describe common legal issues related to prescriptions and medication administration.
- Identify key legal and regulatory aspects of the healthcare environment.
- Analyze key ethical and legal aspects of the medical profession.
- Summarize common legal issues related to medical documentation.
EKG and Cardiovascular
- Identify the basic anatomy of the heart.
- List the steps needed to ensure proper functioning of ECG/EKG equipment (calibration, standardization).
- List the equipment and supplies needed to perform an ECG/EKG procedure.
- Identify the placement of standard limb leads and precordial (chest) leads on a patient undergoing an ECG/EKG procedure.
- Identify waveforms, intervals, and segments in EKG/ECG readings.
- Identify artifacts, signal distortions, and electrical interference in EKG/ECG readings.
- Describe ways to minimize artifacts during EKG/ECG readings.
- Describe abnormal or emergent ECG/EKG results, including arrhythmia and dysrhythmia.
Career Success in Healthcare
- Define “professionalism” and “success” in your own terms.
- Differentiate between long-, medium-, and short-range goals.
- Assess and develop your time management skills.
- Develop plans to enhance your creative and critical thinking.
- Use an effective decision-making process to maximize your chances for success.
- Describe methods to maximize verbal, nonverbal, and written communication.
- Describe the healthcare system.
- Describe and discuss organizational structure, communication channels, and lines of authority.
- Develop an understanding of the factors that affect group dynamics and use these skills to maximize your leadership potential.
- Explain ethics and how they relate to health care professionals.
- Define continuing education, certification, and licensure.
EKG Final Exam
- Identify the steps needed to take to be eligible for and effectively prepare for and access the final exam.
- Identify the format, restrictions, and policies of final exams, including scoring, retakes, allowed resources, and time limits.
Fundamentals of HIPAA
- Describe HIPAA basics.
- Understand the HIPAA Privacy Rule and Security Rules.
- Describe the HITECH Act.
- Explain regulations for business associates.
- Summarize HIPAA documentation and training.
Applying For Your Required Externship*
- Create your profile in the Learner Placement Portal.
- Review the externship preparation resources.
- Explore CareerStep Community career resources to help in your search for an externship.
- Understand the benefits of an externship.
- Access externship participation eligibility requirements.
- Understand the externship application process.
Program Completion: EKG Technician
- Prepare to take the next steps after program completion.
Clinical Externship*
- Earn hours of experience for your certification.
*CareerStep does not guarantee externships. A learner’s placement in and completion of an externship is solely the learner’s responsibility and may be subject to additional requirements, such as a background check and successful completion of a CareerStep course. This is particularly important for learners seeking to complete their externship in Alabama, District of Columbia, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. Please note that CareerStep will not sign agreements with sites in the above-referenced states or provide evidence of insurance to those sites.
EKG Technician Certifications
CareerStep’s online EKG Technician training covers the knowledge and skills you need to successfully sit for industry-recognized certification. We want to support our learners in securing the certification that fits based upon your career goals and current job requirements. Your training includes an exam voucher and prep package for the CET certification – a significant value add of several hundred dollars.
Certified EKG Technician (CET)
Prove your proficiency with EKGs, stress tests, and Holter monitoring with the CET from the National Healthcareer Association.
Documents
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