| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Allied Health |
| Level | Entry level |
| Reports to | Cardiologist |
| Direct reports | None |
| Experience | Fresher or up to 4 years in cardiac diagnostics |
ECG Technician job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: ECG Technician
Department: Allied Health
Reports to: Cardiologist
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
An ECG Technician records electrocardiograms and assists with other cardiac tests. They prepare patients, place leads correctly, capture clean tracings, and hand accurate reports to the cardiologist. The role reports to the Cardiologist or cardiac lab in-charge. A good ECG technician produces artefact free tracings with correct lead placement, flags dangerous rhythms to the doctor at once, and keeps the ECG machines and records in good order across a busy outpatient and ward load.
Key responsibilities
- Prepare patients for ECG by explaining the test and positioning them correctly.
- Place chest and limb leads accurately and record a clean twelve lead ECG.
- Recognise poor quality tracings and repeat until the recording is clear.
- Identify obvious dangerous rhythms and alert the doctor immediately.
- Assist with stress tests, Holter monitoring and other cardiac investigations.
- Enter patient details correctly and label every tracing and report.
- Attend ward and emergency ECG calls promptly when requested.
- Clean electrodes and maintain the ECG machines in working order.
- Maintain records and hand reports to the cardiologist for interpretation.
- Follow infection control between patients and manage electrodes and consumables for the unit.
Requirements
- Diploma or certificate in ECG or Cardiac Technology
- BSc in Cardiac Care Technology is an advantage
- BLS certification is helpful
- Fresher or up to 4 years in cardiac diagnostics
KRAs and KPIs for a ECG Technician
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Tracing quality | Artefact free tracings with correct lead placement on at least 98 percent of ECGs |
| Turnaround | Routine ECGs recorded and handed over within the agreed time |
| Emergency response | Ward and emergency ECG calls attended within the target minutes |
| Critical alerts | Dangerous rhythms flagged to the doctor at once with no missed alert |
| Records | Patient details and tracings labelled correctly with no mix-up |
| Machine care | ECG machines maintained with faults reported before breakdown |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Twelve lead ECG machine, Treadmill stress test system, Holter monitor, Electrodes and gel, Reporting system.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Senior ECG Technician, Cath Lab Technician, Cardiac Technologist
Interview questions for a ECG Technician
- How do you place the chest leads correctly for a twelve lead ECG?
- What causes a wandering baseline or artefact and how do you fix it?
- Which rhythms would make you call the doctor immediately?
- How do you prepare an anxious patient for an ECG?
- How do you set up a patient for a treadmill stress test?
- Tell me about a time you spotted a serious ECG finding and what you did.
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Book a free demoSee pricingFrequently asked questions
What does an ECG technician do?
An ECG technician records electrocardiograms and assists with cardiac tests. They prepare patients, place leads correctly, capture clean tracings, and hand accurate reports to the cardiologist. They assist with stress tests and Holter monitoring, recognise dangerous rhythms and alert the doctor at once, and keep the ECG machines and records in good order.
What qualifications do you need to be an ECG technician?
Most ECG technicians hold a diploma or certificate in ECG or cardiac technology, and a BSc in cardiac care technology is an advantage. Employers look for accurate lead placement, the ability to record clean tracings and recognise dangerous rhythms, calmness in emergencies, and careful record keeping. A basic life support certificate helps.
What is the difference between an ECG technician and a cath lab technician?
An ECG technician records electrocardiograms and does non invasive cardiac tests such as stress tests and Holter monitoring. A cath lab technician assists during invasive procedures like angiography and angioplasty in the catheterisation lab. The cath lab role is more advanced and usually a step up for an experienced cardiac technician.