Electrocardiography (ECG) courses can prepare a person to work as an ECG technician in a variety of ways. There are three types of ECG courses available to aspiring ECG technicians. The 12-lead ECG interpretation course is the primary or foundational course. The 12-lead course is usually built upon or enhanced by other courses. Depending on where the student takes his or her courses, these could include rhythm interpretation and case studies of 12-lead tracings.
Electrocardiography is a noninvasive diagnostic test that uses electrical sensing devices, or leads, attached to key areas of the body to measure electrical activity in the heart. The leads transmit data to a technician via an ECG machine’s monitor. An ECG is used to determine if a person has any underlying heart conditions that need to be treated.
The ability to read and interpret ECG results is critical because it allows the technician to correlate ECG results with the pathophysiology and clinical status of the individual patient. As a result, it is one of the most crucial clinical tests for a medical student to master. The 12-lead ECG interpretation course equips students with the knowledge and skills they need to comprehend cardiac anatomy and the circulatory system, properly place skin electrodes on patients, and perform an ECG in under five minutes. Students also learn how to properly operate an ECG machine, interpret results on an ECG strip, and distinguish between heart activity and abnormal electrical activity, known as artifacts, which can result in inaccurate or misinterpreted readings.
The rhythms course, which covers the 26 rhythm patterns of electrical activity that typically occur in the heart and are recorded as tracings on ECG strips, is another important ECG course. This course instructs aspiring ECG technicians on how to identify the voltage and waveform associated with each rhythm. Students will also gain a systemic-analytical understanding of rhythm interpretation.
The case studies course is one of the optional ECG courses. This usually includes reviews of 12-lead ECG tracings; the number of samples included varies depending on who provides the course, but a course could include 50 or more. These samples can be used as a refresher for experienced ECG technicians or as a supplement to other ECG courses. Students will examine actual clinical tracings of common electrocardiogram patterns.
Anyone interested in becoming an ECG technician should take the required ECG courses. These are frequently included in medical school as primary nursing courses, continuing education units (CEUs), or allied health courses at a community college. Online ECG tutorials are also available, sponsored by a variety of schools and organizations, but they typically require hands-on experience in a radiography externship to complete the program requirements.