Occupational Profiles

Cardiology technologists perform some or all of the following duties:

• Operate electrocardiogram and other electronic equipment to record cardiac activity of patients
• Perform non-invasive cardiovascular procedures and tests, such as electrocardiograms, exercise tolerance tests, ambulatory monitoring and scanning of tapes, holter arrhythmia scanning, pacemaker analysis and follow-up
• Record and assess cardiac activity and provide preliminary reports of tests
• Provide patients with care during procedures and tests
• Prepare reports for interpretation by cardiologists
• Reprogram pacemakers according to required standards
• Check, calibrate and perform routine maintenance of cardiology equipment to ensure proper operation
• May analyze tests and notify physician or other health care professionals of abnormalities
• May administer certain drugs under direct supervision of physician
• May document and record pacemaker implant threshold measurements under direct supervision of cardiac surgeon
• May supervise and train students, other cardiology technologists and nurses.

Electrophysiological technologists perform some or all of the following duties:

• Review patient's case history and assess nature of problem to determine procedures and tests required
• Attach diagnostic equipment to patients and ensure their comfort and safety
• Operate diagnostic equipment such as electroencephalographic and evoked potential equipment to record the electrical activity of the brain and cranial and central nervous systems
• Operate electromyographic equipment to conduct electrophysiological nerve conduction velocity tests and to assist physicians in conducting electrophysiological tests such as muscle strength and repetitive stimulation
• Take notes on the recorded graph to identify interference such as poor electrode contact or patient movement
• Prepare recordings and reports of findings for physicians to aid in the diagnosis of neurological disorders
• Check, calibrate and perform routine maintenance of diagnostic equipment
• Train and supervise students, technicians or other electroencephalograph technologists.

• Cardiology technologists require completion of a two-year college diploma program in cardiology technology and Supervised practical training.
• Cardiology technologists require registration with the Canadian Society of Cardiology Technologists in all provinces except Quebec.
• Electroencephalograph and other diagnostic technologists require completion of a two-year college or hospital-based program in electrophysiology technology and Supervised practical training.
• Registration with the Canadian Board of Electroencephalograph Technologists is available for electroencephalograph technologists; it is required in Alberta and is usually required by employers in other provinces.
• Registration with the Association of Electromyography Technologists of Canada is available for electromyography technologists and is usually required by employers.
• Registration with l'Ordre des technologues en imagerie m?dicale, en radio-oncologie et en ?lectrophysiologie m?dicale du Qu?bec is required for cardiology technologists and electrophysiological technologists in Quebec.