If you’ve made it to this page, it’s likely you have been thinking about how to advance or start your career in medicine. There are many ways to do it and the litany of certifications out there can be daunting. How do you know which to take? Is one better than another? Will you need to go to college or interrupt your current career to become certified, and what’s in it for you anyway?
We’ve listed some of the national exams below. We have also made notes of what the exam covers, who typically takes the exam, and what you can do to prepare.
According to CCIonline.org, the major sections of their certified rhythm analysis technician exam are as follows.
A. Registering patients
B. Maintaining cardiac monitoring device support
C. Educating clients
D. Administering cardiac test
E. Analyzing rhythms
F. Processing cardiac test findings
This is not an exhaustive list, however, perusing the web for telemetry technician resume examples will turn up the following job titles quite often
Nurses
Medical assistants
EMT-B
Phlebotomists
There are four ways to prepare for the CRAT exam.
Take a certification course
The official working on the cci-online.org site is:
Currently enrolled as a student or a graduate of a cardiovascular or allied health training program.
You may then provide documentation such as a completion certificate, transcripts, or a verification letter from your program. An employment verification letter will be required for this option.
Use prior related work experience
This option obviously is not for newbies. This option is better suited for people who have already worked in the medical professions such as a nurse, sonographer, or some related allied health field that is recognized by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Get a degree
The exact wording on the CCI-online website is as follows.
Completed requirements for a graduate or undergraduate degree from a recognized institution in a field related to science or physical health.
College isn’t for everyone, but for those whose college try resulted in a degree, this could be your ticket to a seat for the CRAT Exam. Transcripts, a completion certificate, or a student verification letter are required for this option.
Volunteer
According the the cci-online.org site, you may earn a seat at the exam by engaging in
Volunteer service in the field of Cardiovascular Technology for a minimum of two (2) years and documentation supporting full-time technical activities for a two (2) year period.
Donate your time for two years and bring home valuable experience and the satisfaction of serving your community in a noble endeavor!
If you are inexperienced or lack a degree, you may decide to take the most direct route, completing a cardiovascular or allied health training program, and there needn’t be years or thousands of dollars removed from your life or bank account. Even if you have a degree or certificate, a refresher course on the exact topics you will be tested on could prove useful in ensuring you pass the exam.
As it turns out, we offer a great certification course that is self-paced and takes six to eight weeks to finish. Are we biased in saying it’s great? Well, it is accredited by the American Medical Association and we are allowed to offer 8 category 1 continuing education units. Furthermore, our course is listed as a review program on the cci-online.org website. As of the writing of this article, our site is the only US based review program listed that specifically prepares students for the CRAT Exam. Other programs focus on topics such as sonography or electrophysiology.
According to the (AECA), their Cardiac Monitor Telemetry Exam covers:
- Anatomy and physiology
- Medical terminology
- Legal issues
- Infection control
- EKG Application
- EKG Rhythm Interpretation (sinus node, atria, atria-junction node, ventricles, heart blocks, axis deviation, axis hypertrophy, STEMI, pacemakers)
Three groups of people are eligible to take the exam. The first, Group A, are those who have “EKG training or equivalent (nationally or internationally)”. The second group, Group B, are those with experience. The third group, Group C, are members of the military with proof education or experience.
Pacific Medical Training’s monitor technician course covers the topics on the AECA’s Cardiac Monitor Telemetry Exam. You would also be provided with a certificate from Pacific Medical Training if you are seeking eligibility as a member of Group A, those with education (national or international EKG training)
According to the AECA website, their EKG Technician Certification Exam covers
- Anatomy and physiology
- Medical terminology
- Legal issues
- Infection control
- EKG Application
- EKG Interpretation Fundamentals
As with the Cardiac Monitor Telemetry Exam, three groups are eligible to take the exam: those with EKG training, military experience and training, or civilian experience.
Once again, military and work experience help. For those without military or work experience, Pacific Medical Training’s monitor technician course as well as our stress test and Holter monitor course covers the same topics in the exam. The latter course is recommended for those who also seek advanced jobs in which they will conduct stress testing and utilize Holter monitors.
According to the AECA website, the Cardiac Arrhythmia Exam covers:
- Anatomy and physiology
- Medical terminology
- Legal issues
- EKG Rhythm Interpretation: sinus node, atria, atria-junction node, ventricles, heart blocks, axis deviation, axis hypertrophy, STEMI, pacemakers
Those who either have military experience and training, civilian experience, or who have taken an international or national EKG training course take this exam.
Pacific Medical Training’s monitor technician course covers all of the topics in the exam.
According to the American Medical Certification Association (AMCA):
The test is comprised of 110 questions in EKG:
The breakdown is as follows: Medical terminology, anatomy and physiology of the heart, diseases and disorders of the heart, electrocardiography, pharmacology, and general patient care.
* 10 questions are un-scored.
Allotted time for examinees is 2 hours.
The AMCA doesn’t explicity state who takes this exam, but the most likely ones who would desire certification would be nurses, medical assistants, phlebotomists, and other professionals seeking an EKG credential, as well as those seeking certification for entry-level EKG technician work.
Our monitor technician course covers the topics in the ETC Exam, as does our stress test and Holter monitor course.
Information on exam content is scant. It’s only stated that the ACA has an ECG Technician Exam.
Nurses, medical assistants, and those seeking entry level work as an ECG technician are likely to take an ECG Exam.
According to the ACA
Eligibility to sit for each exam requires at least a high school diploma or GED plus the individual minimum requirements listed.
The following statement was written on the ACA site as a minimum requirement for taking their exam:
Successful completion of a structured ECG technician program.
Here are a few things about the NTAs certification listed on their website
Pathophysiology of the cardiovascular system
Learning to interpret 36 cardiac arrhythmias
Trending
How to place ECG leads
How to run an ECG machine
Cardiac cycle
Electrical conductivity of the heart
Heart medications and their effect on heart rhythms
Medications which adversely affect the heart muscle
Much much more
Nurses and various other medical professionals interested in telemetry take this exam, as do those new to the field.
Pacific Medical Training’s monitor technician course covers the same topics listed on the NTA’s website. Furthermore, our course is self-paced and there is no time limit for course completion.