Cardiovascular technologists assist doctors with procedures involving the cardiovascular system, including the heart and blood vessels, both invasive and noninvasively. Vascular technologists, echocardiographers, and electrocardiograph technicians are all examples of cardiovascular technologist jobs. Each of these cardiovascular technologist jobs focuses on using a specific hospital device or having advanced knowledge of a specific medical instrument or equipment.
Vascular technologists, in particular, assist physicians in the diagnosis of patients with circulatory disorders. During an exam, vascular technologists evaluate a patient’s medical history and listen for abnormalities in vascular blood flow to order the appropriate vascular tests. The vascular test is then completed with ultrasound equipment, usually during or after surgery. A vascular test may be used to assess a patient’s vascular blood flow, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, peripheral circulation, cerebral circulation, and abdominal circulation. Following that, vascular technologists summarize the findings and present them to the physician to aid in the diagnosis.
Echocardiographers are cardiovascular technologists who use ultrasound instruments to perform echocardiograms, which create images of the heart chambers, valves, and blood vessels by using sound waves. These trained sonographers use a transducer to place on the patient’s ribs near the breastbone and toward the heart to perform echocardiogram tests on either resting or physically active patients. The echocardiography machine picks up the echo of sound waves, and then creates a moving picture of the heart. Patients with heart murmurs, abnormal heart valves, congenital heart disease, or pulmonary hypertension can benefit from this type of test to help doctors diagnose, treat, and evaluate them.
Technicians who perform electrocardiography (EKG or ECG) on heart patients are known as electrocardiograph (EKG or ECG) technicians. EKG technicians work in emergency rooms, doctor’s offices, and cardiology clinics, performing electrocardiogram tests on patients who have chest pains or other symptoms of cardiac problems. These technicians are also in charge of maintaining the EKG machine to ensure that it is in good working order and that the test results are accurate. Some EKG technicians may also be in charge of explaining the EKG procedure to patients and assisting with follow-up cardiac stress tests.
A two-year associate’s degree from an accredited junior or community college, as well as relevant on-the-job training through an internship, are required for most cardiovascular technologist jobs. Before becoming qualified to work professionally in the field, most EKG technicians receive hands-on training from an EKG supervisor or cardiologist. The pay for cardiovascular technologists varies greatly depending on whether they work in a private physician’s office or in a hospital setting, with cardiologists who work in the private setting typically earning more money.