Echo Tech
How To Become an Echocardiogram Technician
Entering the sonography field through working as an echocardiogram technician is a great idea. Cardiac sonographers may also be called echocardiogram technicians, and they are in high demand for work in their industry. If you take to echocardiogram technician careers and are good working with patients and the physicians, you may do well in such a position.
In this article, we explore how you can become an echocardiogram technician.
Key Takeaways:
- Echocardiogram technicians are sonographers who use utilize ultrasound gear to create images of patients’ hearts and cardiovascular systems, gathering data which is essential for physicians’ diagnosis.
- Aspiring echocardiogram technicians should ideally complete an echocardiography program, earning an associate’s degree or equivalent and obtain a certification to enhance their employability in the field.
- Essential skills for echocardiogram technicians include knowledge of ultrasound equipment and the ability to interpret results, excellent communication and interpersonal skills, manual dexterity and keen attention to detail.
What is an Echocardiogram Technician?
An echocardiogram technician is a sonographer who uses ultrasound equipment to take images of patients’ hearts and cardiovascular systems. Echocardiogram technicians can perform ultrasounds while patients are at a resting heart rate and gather data that physicians can use to reach a diagnosis. An echocardiogram technician typically works under the supervision of a licensed physician and might collaborate with other technicians while on the job. They most often work in hospitals, but echocardiogram technicians can also find employment at medical clinics and diagnostic imaging centers that have facilities for taking sonograms, ultrasounds and x-rays.
What do Echocardiogram Technicians do?
Echocardiogram technicians primarily focus on administering ultrasounds to patients that help physicians to examine their hearts and cardiovascular system. This can involve making sure that certain organs or parts are visible, such as heart chambers, valves and blood vessels, so that physicians can gain a complete understanding of a patient’s cardiac health. Echocardiogram technicians typically need patients to have a resting heart rate in order to take the images they need, so they sometimes have to provide medication to patients with elevated heart rates to prepare them for taking a sonogram.
They might also help physicians complete more complex ultrasounds that can involve mildly invasive procedures. Here are some other common job duties for echocardiogram technicians:
- Obtaining patients’ medical history and records to ensure their safety during ultrasounds
- Communicating with patients throughout their ultrasounds
- Humanizing patients and their families about medical ultrasounds and cardiac sonography
- Analyzing diagnostic data to prepare it for as physician
- Recording anatomic, physiologic and pathologic data
- Assisting physicians with non-invasive cardiac sonography procedures
How to Become an Echocardiogram Technician
Here’s how you can start your career as an echocardiogram technician:
1. Complete an Echocardiography Program
Enroll in an echocardiography program. Many aspiring echocardiogram technicians enter programs at community colleges that can earn them an associate’s degree in echocardiography. However, you can also find echocardiography programs at vocational schools or certificate programs that can typically be finished within one year. Completing an echocardiography program can give you the skills and expertise you need to succeed as an echocardiogram technician, like lab techniques, how to use ultrasound equipment and analyzing diagnostics.
Aside from coursework in subjects like these, echocardiography students also take part in laboratory studies and practical work that teaches them how to implement the skills they learn.
2. Earn Certification
Obtain certification as an echocardiogram technician. Most employers of echocardiogram technicians require candidates to be certified, even if their state does not have specific certification requirements for the position. Having certification can help make your job application stand out to employers over candidates who might not be certified. This is because being certified can identify you as a qualified candidate by highlighting your skills and expertise and emphasizing your passion for the industry. Two common sources of certification for echocardiogram technicians are the American Archive for Diagnostic Medical Sonography and Cardiovascular Credentialing International.
3. Apply for Work as an Echocardiogram Technician
Look for job openings for echocardiogram technicians and apply to any that interest you. One of the most common places for an echocardiogram technician to work is at a hospital, as hospitals most frequently service cardiac patients who need ultrasounds. However, you can also look for jobs as an echocardiogram technician at other medical facilities that offer sonography, like a medical clinic, care facility or diagnostic imaging center. You can search for jobs under the title “cardiac sonographer” as well, as some facilities might refer to echocardiogram technicians as cardiac sonographers.
Skills for Echocardiogram Technicians
Echocardiogram technicians need a specialized set of skills to perform the duties their job requires. As much of their work focuses on taking ultrasounds of patients’ hearts and cardiovascular systems, one of the most important skills for an echocardiogram technician to have is a knowledge of how to use ultrasound equipment. Similarly, echocardiogram technicians should be familiar with how to interpret ultrasound results so that they can accurately convey any important information to the physicians they report to. Echocardiogram technicians also need excellent interpersonal and communication skills because they communicate with patients and their families before, during and after ultrasounds.
Here are a few more skills you might need as an echocardiogram technician:
- Attention to detail
- Empathy towards patients
- Manual dexterity
- Efficient time management
- Basic knowledge of computers
- Physical stamina
- Awareness of healthcare standards and practices
Salary and Job Outlook for Echocardiogram Technicians
The national average salary for echocardiogram technicians is, indeed, listed as $121,684 a year. If you really want the latest data on salaries on Indeed, click the link.
Diagnostic medical sonographers, such as echocardiogram technicians, are expected to increase in number by 17 percent or roughly 5,300 jobs between 2019 and 2029, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Career Development tips for Echocardiogram Technicians
Here are some tips for developing your career as an echocardiogram technician:
- Pursue additional certification or licensure.
- Apply to other jobs in the cardiac technology field.
- Contribute to research in new echocardiography developments.
- Enroll in a graduate level education program to earn an advanced degree.
- Connect with other professionals in the industry to learn new techniques.
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