Cardiovascular technicians conduct tests and create images of procedures that involve the heart. During the course of a day, they may take medical histories, prepare imaging equipment, answer patients’ questions about procedures, review images, analyze diagnostic information and record findings in patients’ files.
Good cardiovascular technicians will have certain qualities in order to perform their job successfully. When creating your cardiovascular technician job description, make sure to include the qualities that you specifically are looking for. Technicians should be technically skilled and detail oriented in order to use the diagnostic equipment and read the results correctly.
Being able to move patients, remain on their feet for lengthy periods of time and hand-eye coordination are also important. Applicants should also have good interpersonal skills. To get a good idea of how to incorporate these qualities in your cardiovascular technician job description, read the example below.
Cardiovascular Technician Job Summary
As a cardiovascular technician for our facility, you will provide inpatient and outpatient diagnostic tests for a variety of patients. You will be a team member and will work with cardiovascular physicians and other personnel, reporting to the area director. Your responsibilities will include providing meaningful and safe service to patients and the cardiovascular team. With your knowledge of hemodynamics, cardiovascular anatomy and sterile technique, your tasks on any given day will change according to the needs of the physicians. Whether it is performing a sonography, filling out patients’ charts, cleaning equipment or assuming scrub responsibilities, you will fulfill a meaningful service for our staff and/or patients.
Job Responsibilities
- Conduct cardiovascular tests, such as electrocardiograms, echocardiograms, stress tests and phonocardiograms, to record the cardiac activity of patients
- Use specialized recording devices, electronic test equipment or laboratory instruments to perform diagnostic tests
- Prepare patients for testing procedures by explaining them fully and ensuring the comfort and safety of the patients
- Scrub in and assist physician by setting up sterile field, positioning patient properly and maintaining interventional and/or diagnostic equipment
- Monitor heart rate and blood pressure of patients during diagnostic procedures and alert physicians to changes or abnormalities
- Obtain medical history of patient and record in charts
- Adjust controls and equipment per established protocol or physicians’ orders
- Operate and maintain diagnostic equipment through calibration and troubleshooting, document problems with equipment and set up repair services
- Communicate with nursing departments, ancillary departments and patients’ families as directed
- Document tests, diagnoses, prognoses and all other relevant information in patients’ charts
- Follow safety procedures and HIPAA guidelines to maintain confidentiality and privacy
- Clean and sanitize equipment daily and between each patient
- Train or supervise students or cardiology technologists
Job Skills & Qualifications
Reqiured:
- Associate degree
- Minimum two years of experience in cardiovascular program, ICU, cath lab or ER
- BLS certification
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
Preferred:
- Bachelor’s degree
- ACLS certification
- IV training and competency
Cardiovascular Technician Job Responsibilities
While it is easy to focus on the content of the responsibilities section in your cardiovascular technician job description, the format is also vital to the successful hiring of new talent. No matter how strongly you make the position appealing, if you do not organize the information of the meatiest part of the description effectively, readers may become intimidated or lose interest. You should write the cardiovascular technician job responsibilities section as a bulleted list and make sure every item begins with a strong action verb. This approach better communicates expectations to candidates.
As the section of the cardiovascular technician job description that readers will use to make their decision, the responsibilities information should be the longest part of the posting. Aim to include more than five bullet points but less than nine. This is the recommended length because it is not so long as to be intimidating, but also not so short that the readers do not have a grasp of the position. Consider these examples.
- Perform stress tests and other kinds of cardiovascular scans to determine patients’ cardiac activity and health
- Explain procedures to patients, making recommendations and answering inquiries
- Monitor patients’ states during testing to ensure they are comfortable and not in danger
- Maintain cardiovascular equipment, ensuring no unnecessary wear happens and identifying issues that may damage them
Cardiovascular Technician Job Specifications
It is not uncommon for the job qualifications and skills section to be the shortest part of any cardiovascular technician job description. This leads many hiring managers to assume it is the least important section. This is a big mistake to make. The cardiovascular technician job specifications are responsible for determining whether candidates will apply. This means it is the difference between talented professionals submitting their application and an overwhelming number of unqualified candidates you must sort through.
To tackle this problem, your descriptions should include preferred and mandatory qualifications categories in this section. This not only helps make it perfectly clear to candidates when they are not qualified, but it also lets those who might not meet every preference know they still have potential for the position. It simultaneously filters out poor matches while encouraging the more talented applicants. The following set of example entries demonstrates both kinds of qualifications. Use the samples to strengthen your cardiovascular technician job description and improve your chances of hiring a strong candidate.
- Bachelor and master’s degree completion required
- Must be fully certified and trained to use cardiovascular equipment
- Excellent bedside manner and interpersonal communication skills
- Highly organized and capable at administrative tasks
- Analysis, critical thinking and evaluation abilities