What interested you in becoming an ECG/EKG technician?
I first worked for Cleveland Clinic in the dietary department over 40 years ago. At the end of my shifts, I often saw EKG technicians wheeling their equipment to and from appointments and I was intrigued. I began to pursue and completed the on-the-job training to become an EKG technician.
What physical and/or soft skills do you need to have to succeed?
For this job you really need to have the ability to make a patient feel comfortable and at ease. If the patient is tense, it could affect the quality of the EKG. My position can also be physically demanding and require a lot of endurance traveling to and from assignments in very short periods of time.
What advice would you give to interested high school students?
Students need to be aware that EKG technicians have a worthy and important job that requires tremendous accuracy. I would recommend shadowing in an outpatient environment for hands on experience.
What interested you in working at Cleveland Clinic?
When the new construction of the H Building was taking place, I heard Cleveland Clinic would be hiring over 900 new caregivers and I wanted to be one of them. I was very interested in working in a high demand, high reward facility.
What excites you about being an ECG/EKG technician?
I find the job very rewarding. I get to meet a variety of people from all over the world.
What has been your most gratifying experience as an ECG/EKG technician?
I remember one particular patient from Alaska was waiting 13 months for a heart transplant. The hospital helped the patient transform and personalize his hospital room to make it feel more like home. I got to know this patient very well over the course of his stay and felt like a member of his family.
What career options do you have in this field?
As an EKG technician you have the opportunity to become a holter technician or stress technician. There is also the opportunity for advancement in a management or supervisory role.
Learn More
- Visit the electrocardiogram (EKG) profile to learn more about this career path.
