What does a telemetry technician do?
A telemetry technician is responsible for operating the telemetry machine to identify patients' heart rates and rhythms. Telemetry technicians monitor the patients' heart condition by attaching medical equipment to the patients' chest and record findings for the doctor's reference. They also assist with related medical operations and treatment procedures and discuss the processes with the patient. A telemetry technician must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in sorting clients' records and medical treatment plans.
Telemetry technician responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real telemetry technician resumes:
- Observe patients being monitor while in the ICU and the Med/Surge unit and reporting any abnormal findings to the RN.
- Monitor patients and administer EKG.
- Utilize varied medical equipment including telemetry monitors, vital sign monitors and lifting equipment to care for patients.
- Provide continuous observation of monitor ECG rhythms for patients on telemetry and report pertinent information to appropriate nursing personnel.
- Pass instruments, sponges, and suture to surgical team.
- Assist in code situations by providing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
- Work under the direct supervision of an RN and perform duties according to protocol of the ICU unit.
- Interpret for staff, fill iv carts, make chart kits for new patients, tally census at midnight.
- Assist with cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation.
- Assist other hospital staff with resuscitation efforts.
- Document all cardiac rhythms and arrhythmia clearly and accurately.
- Respond to patients cardiac arrests and perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
- Preform EKG interpretation, identifying any abnormalities and notifying nursing and medical staff.
- Transcribe all echocardiogram and carotid reports after dictation by physician.
- Assist in application of traction devices and set up suction equipment.
Telemetry technician skills and personality traits
We calculated that 26% of Telemetry Technicians are proficient in Patients, EKG, and Patient Care. They’re also known for soft skills such as Hand-eye coordination, Technical skills, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Telemetry Technicians that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 26%
Provide continuous observation of monitored ECG rhythms for patients on telemetry and report pertinent information to appropriate nursing personnel.
- EKG, 15%
Preformed EKG interpretation, identifying any abnormalities and notifying nursing and medical staff.
- Patient Care, 9%
Deliver patient care by assisting individuals with daily living activities as delegated by and in conjunction with registered professional.
- Customer Service, 8%
Answer an average of fifty calls per day by addressing customer inquiries, solving problems and providing excellent customer service.
- Rhythm Interpretation, 4%
Collaborated with appropriate staff members for rhythm interpretation.
- ICU, 4%
Observed patients being monitored while in the ICU and the Med/Surge unit and reporting any abnormal findings to the RN.
Most telemetry technicians use their skills in "patients," "ekg," and "patient care" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential telemetry technician responsibilities here:
Hand-eye coordination. One of the key soft skills for a telemetry technician to have is hand-eye coordination. You can see how this relates to what telemetry technicians do because "to get quality images, diagnostic medical sonographers and cardiovascular technologists and technicians must accurately move equipment on the patient’s body in response to what they see on the screen." Additionally, a telemetry technician resume shows how telemetry technicians use hand-eye coordination: "provided quality dialysis treatment to patients with end stage renal disease in coordination with other health personnel. "
Technical skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling telemetry technician duties is technical skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "diagnostic medical sonographers and cardiovascular technologists and technicians must understand how to operate complex machinery and computerized instruments." According to a telemetry technician resume, here's how telemetry technicians can utilize technical skills in their job responsibilities: "recognize technical inferior ekg and take corrective action as appropriate. "
Detail oriented. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of telemetry technicians is detail oriented. This skill is critical to many everyday telemetry technician duties, as "diagnostic medical sonographers and cardiovascular technologists and technicians must follow precise instructions to obtain the images needed to diagnose and treat patients." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "tasked to train new hires on maintaining same detailed and high quality standards of patient care"
Physical stamina. Another crucial skill for a telemetry technician to carry out their responsibilities is "physical stamina." A big part of what telemetry technicians relies on this skill, since "diagnostic medical sonographers and cardiovascular technologists and technicians stand for long periods and must be able to lift and move patients who need assistance." How this skill relates to telemetry technician duties can be seen in an example from a telemetry technician resume snippet: "performed basic physical assessments of newborns and infants. Evaluated patient care needs, prioritized treatment, and maintained patient flow. "
The three companies that hire the most telemetry technicians are:
- Select Medical30 telemetry technicians jobs
- Select Specialty Hospital26 telemetry technicians jobs
- Methodist Health System20 telemetry technicians jobs
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Compare different telemetry technicians
Telemetry technician vs. Cardiovascular sonographer
A cardiovascular sonographer specializes in operating non-invasive imaging equipment to help physicians in diagnosing and treating cardiovascular issues. They conduct imaging test procedures and assist patients by answering questions, preparing them for the tests, helping them understand the process, providing step-by-step instructions, and making them feel at ease the entire time. They are also responsible for evaluating the images, utilizing their knowledge to sort out abnormalities detected. Moreover, as a cardiovascular sonographer, it is essential to produce accurate results, all while maintaining a transparent and open communication line with physicians and nurses.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between telemetry technicians and cardiovascular sonographer. For instance, telemetry technician responsibilities require skills such as "rhythm interpretation," "medical terminology," "qrs," and "rhythm strips." Whereas a cardiovascular sonographer is skilled in "bls," "rdcs," "echocardiogram," and "echocardiography." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Cardiovascular sonographers tend to reach similar levels of education than telemetry technicians. In fact, cardiovascular sonographers are 1.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.4% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Telemetry technician vs. Cardiovascular specialist
A cardiovascular invasive specialist works together with physicians in diagnosing and treating cardiovascular conditions. They primarily assist in different cardiac procedures, ensuring operations run smoothly and efficiently. Their responsibilities usually include gathering and studying the patients' records, operating and adjusting imaging equipment, setting-up facilities, preparing the patients for cardiac intervention and catheterization, and interpreting imaging data, coordinating with physicians at all times. Moreover, they monitor the patients' heart rate, blood pressure, and other waveforms, all while maintaining accurate records.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, telemetry technician responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "customer service," "rhythm interpretation," "electrocardiogram," and "medical terminology." Meanwhile, a cardiovascular specialist has duties that require skills in areas such as "cath lab," "cardiology," "electrophysiology," and "critical care." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
In general, cardiovascular specialists achieve similar levels of education than telemetry technicians. They're 2.2% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for telemetry technicians in the next 3-5 years?
Michael Williams Ph.D.
Director and Associate Professor, Eastern Michigan University
The electronic health record (EHR) integration continues to build in decision aids and artificial intelligence for making better decisions. The EHR has made accessing patient information more available to other practitioners and patients themselves. Another technology that will continue to expand in use is a point of care testing (POC). POC allows for greater flexibility to meet the patient wherever they are, and will see continued expansion. And perhaps, the technology that has indeed expanded, out of necessity during the pandemic, is telehealth.
While telehealth has been available for many years, particularly in rural areas, it wasn't nearly as common in high population areas--patients were expected to go to the provider. Telehealth can eliminate many unnecessary "non-emergency" visits to emergency rooms and can be available, quite easily, in off-hours.
Telemetry technician vs. Cardiovascular invasive specialist
An invasive cardiovascular technologist is responsible for assisting the cardiovascular doctors and giving care to the patients. They prepare all needed machines, equipment, or tools, and they also prepare patients for procedures. They need to continually monitor patients before, during, and after an operation. They also assist the doctor with tasks such as handling tools.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, telemetry technicians are more likely to have skills like "patient care," "customer service," "rhythm interpretation," and "icu." But a cardiovascular invasive specialist is more likely to have skills like "bls," "acls," "rcis," and "cvt."
Cardiovascular invasive specialists make a very good living in the professional industry with an average annual salary of $79,740. On the other hand, telemetry technicians are paid the highest salary in the health care industry, with average annual pay of $34,824.cardiovascular invasive specialists typically earn similar educational levels compared to telemetry technicians. Specifically, they're 0.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Telemetry technician vs. Invasive cardiovascular technologist
Types of telemetry technician
Updated January 8, 2025
