Telemetry in cardiac science can be defined as the process by which important signs can be observed in patient’s body and the particular data can be transferred from various locations. Telemetry technicians may deal with critical care patients in cardiac department through automatic monitoring devices.
Now, what are the career requirements of becoming telemetry technician?
Degree: Graduation degree is not necessary in this profession but associate degree can be beneficial instead. You must specialize in the fields of either cardiovascular technology or cardiac-ultrasonography.
Official Recognition Course: Some employers always look for certified professionals. Therefore you must obtain your certification from authorized centers.
Experience: You can join as telemetry technician as a fresher in some organizations. Few employers may want an experience of 2 years in the relevant sector.
Key Skills: In this mobile telemetry industry, you will require excellent interpersonal skills. If you are responsible to look after cardiac patients, you must be detail oriented with proper knowledge about the usage of Electrocardiogram machine (ECG). You should also possess knowledge about the pacemakers.
Pay Package: You can earn a lucrative salary of around $54,000 per year. This is the salary of mid level technicians in this industry. If you reach higher positions, you can earn even more than that.
Here are few steps through which you can become a successful telemetry technician:
Step 1: Obtain Associate Degree: According to the US Labor Statistics (also known as BLS), Associate degree is considered to be the common way in making a career in telemetry. Few employers can look out for candidates possessing certification as their post secondary education. An accredited Associate degree program in the field of medical imaging can train students with necessary skills that are highly relevant in cardiology. Advanced courses may include ultrasound instrumentation process, cardiovascular pharmacology, echo interpretation and other medical imaging process. 2 year associate degree program may include other medical study courses which provide opportunity for students for using various medical devices in the laboratory environment.
Step 2: Earn Certification: Some Associate degree programs are designed in such a way that they prepare you well for the certification course. The qualifying exams are generally conducted through American Diagnostic Medical Sonography or Cardiovascular International .The Bureau of labor states that individuals can be certified in various fields. So candidates may try and explore different areas before selecting one finally as their specialized field. Telemetry technician certification can be obtained from National Association of Telemetry so that the employers are satisfied with the standards. Some certifications may require that the holders continue their studies and renew their technician certification every few years. Different designations may require renewal process after specific years but in every case, you are required to upgrade yourself very frequently.
Step 3: Gain Experience: Most of the telemetry technicians grab their jobs at hospitals and medical centers. Though some employers are satisfied with inexperienced technicians, most of them want some knowledge in medical environment like hospitals or clinical labs.
Step 4: Connect: You are required to connect yourself with various professional companies. Organizations like American Echocardiography Society provides essential resources for experienced employees, educational events and other web courses. You can also achieve direct discounts on services like live educational events and courses by joining a professional organization.
Therefore, telemetry can be considered as an excellent way to access data without hurting natural resources. Mobile telemetry helps you to carry critical and sensitive information with you or wherever you go. This shows the flexibility or mobility of the system and can play a great role in medical imaging field. If you can follow the above steps wisely, you can definitely gain a technician position in a large organization.
Author Bio: Bob Thomas is a well known telemetry researcher. In this article, he provides tips to the would-be technicians who are interested to pursue their career in mobile telemetry.