EKG Technician

Hours: 60 / Access Length: 12 Months / Delivery: Online, Self-Paced
Retail Price: $997.00

Course Overview:

This course introduces you to the fundamentals of electrocardiography (ECG) and its place in modern healthcare. You begin with the history and purpose of the ECG and connect cardiovascular anatomy and physiology to the rhythms recorded on tracings. You also study ECG equipment, leads, electrodes, patient preparation, infection control, and communication practices. The course guides you through identifying and interpreting a wide range of rhythms, including sinus, atrial, junctional, ventricular, and heart block dysrhythmias. You also review pacemaker rhythms, life-threatening conditions, stress testing, and ambulatory monitoring. Clinical presentations such as ischemia, infarction, and heart failure are linked to ECG findings to strengthen your understanding of their real-world significance. By the end of the course, you will be able to interpret ECG patterns with greater accuracy and connect your knowledge to patient care, safety, and professional responsibilities in healthcare settings.

Students will:

• Explain the history, purpose, and clinical importance of the electrocardiogram.
• Describe the anatomy and physiology of the cardiovascular system as it relates to the ECG.
• Identify ECG equipment, leads, electrodes, and recording methods.
• Outline the procedures for preparing patients and performing a 12-lead ECG.
• Interpret ECG waveforms, rhythm strips, and common dysrhythmias.
• Distinguish between sinus, atrial, junctional, ventricular, and heart block rhythms.
• Recognize pacemaker rhythms and associated complications.
• Explain the purpose and procedures of cardiac stress testing and ambulatory monitoring.
• Relate ECG findings to clinical presentations such as ischemia, infarction, and heart failure.
• Apply ECG knowledge to patient care, safety, communication, and ethical considerations in healthcare settings.

This course prepares a student to take the AMCA EKG Technician Certification (ETC) national certification exam.

Course Outline:

Lesson 1: Electrocardiography

In this lesson, you trace the development of the ECG and its importance in modern healthcare. You discover how it is used in diagnosing heart conditions, examine related legal and ethical issues, and review essential safety measures. You also connect ECG concepts with basic vital signs and learn about career paths in this growing field.

Lesson 2: The Cardiovascular System

In this lesson, you explore how the heart’s structures and rhythms connect to the ECG. You follow the flow of blood through chambers, valves, and vessels while distinguishing between pulmonary, systemic, and coronary circulation. You also examine the cardiac cycle, learning how systole, diastole, and the conduction system reveal the heart’s function on an ECG.

Lesson 3: The Electrocardiograph

In this lesson, you learn how ECG leads capture the heart’s electrical activity and how machines record and display those signals. You become familiar with electrodes, graph paper, and machine controls while connecting these concepts to measuring heart rate. Through these foundations, you gain insight into interpreting accurate ECG tracings in clinical practice.

Lesson 4: Performing an ECG

In this lesson, you follow the full process of performing an ECG, from preparing the patient and equipment to applying electrodes and recording a tracing. You study ways to communicate with patients, ensure safety, and address special circumstances. You also learn how to recognize artifacts, care for equipment, and respond to emergencies during the procedure.

Lesson 5: Rhythm Strip Interpretation

In this lesson, you examine how heart activity creates the ECG waveform and what each segment reveals about cardiac function. You learn how to evaluate tracings, identify abnormalities, and apply criteria for classifying dysrhythmias. By connecting rhythm, rate, and waveform features, you build the foundation for understanding clinical ECG interpretation.

Lesson 6: Sinus Rhythms

In this lesson, you focus on sinus rhythms and how they influence patient health. You compare normal rhythm with conditions such as bradycardia, tachycardia, dysrhythmia, arrest, and exit block. Each pattern is linked to specific effects on the patient and guides the care or treatment that may be required.

Lesson 7: Atrial Dysrhythmias

In this lesson, you examine atrial dysrhythmias and how they differ in origin and effect. You review premature atrial complexes, wandering pacemakers, multifocal tachycardia, flutter, and fibrillation, noting how each alters heart function. Understanding these patterns helps you connect rhythm disturbances with patient outcomes and the care needed to manage them.

Lesson 8: Junctional Dysrhythmias

In this lesson, you study junctional dysrhythmias and how they influence the heart’s rhythm and patient well-being. You look at premature junctional complexes, escape rhythms, accelerated rhythms, tachycardia, and supraventricular tachycardia. Each condition highlights how changes in the AV junction can affect cardiac output and guide decisions in patient care.

Lesson 9: Heart Block Dysrhythmias

In this lesson, you learn about heart block dysrhythmias and how they interfere with the heart’s electrical conduction. You review first-, second-, and third-degree AV blocks, including Mobitz I and II, and consider how each affects patient stability. These patterns reveal important links between conduction delays and the care patients may require.

Lesson 10: Ventricular Dysrhythmias

In this lesson, you focus on ventricular dysrhythmias and their serious impact on patient outcomes. You examine premature ventricular complexes, idioventricular rhythms, tachycardia, fibrillation, and asystole, along with their clinical implications. Recognizing these life-threatening patterns helps you understand how disruptions in the ventricles affect cardiac function and the urgent care that may follow.

Lesson 11: Pacemaker Rhythms

In this lesson, you explore the role of pacemakers in regulating the heart. You look at how pacing rhythms appear on an ECG, what they reveal about heart function, and how complications can be identified. The material connects device operation with the realities of patient monitoring and care.

Lesson 12: Cardiac Stress Testing

In this lesson, you examine exercise electrocardiography, often called stress testing, and its role in evaluating heart function under physical demand. You consider how patients are prepared, what safety steps guide the process, and the responsibilities of healthcare professionals. You also compare testing methods and protocols that reveal valuable information about cardiovascular health.

Lesson 13: Ambulatory Monitoring

In this lesson, you learn how ambulatory monitoring extends the information gained from a standard ECG by tracking heart activity over time. You review different monitoring devices, their purposes, and how they are applied and removed. The material also emphasizes patient education and the role of healthcare professionals in reporting accurate results.

Lesson 14: Clinical Presentation and Management of the Cardiac Patient

In this lesson, you explore the role of the coronary arteries and how reduced blood flow leads to cardiac symptoms. You compare stable and unstable presentations, review ST elevation and non-ST elevation changes, and examine heart failure. The content also highlights urgent assessment steps and treatment options that guide care for cardiac patients.

Lesson 15: Basic 12-Lead ECG Interpretation

In this lesson, you connect the 12-lead ECG to the heart’s anatomy, learning which coronary arteries supply different regions. You review changes that signal ischemia, injury, or infarction and study conduction problems such as bundle branch block. The material also introduces axis deviation and left ventricular hypertrophy, providing tools to recognize advanced patterns on the ECG.

SIMTICS Virtual Hands-On Labs:

• Cardiovascular Pathology
• Disinfection and Sterilization in Outpatient Setting 1
• Disinfection and Sterilization in Outpatient Setting 2
• ECG Interpretation for Medical Professionals
• Electrocardiogram (ECG) 12-Lead
• Electronic Health Records
• Hand Hygiene
• Isolation Room PPE Protocol (FREE)
• Obtain Vital Signs - Adult
• Obtain Vital Signs - Pediatric
• Perform Basic Life Support (BLS) on a Child
• Perform Basic Life Support (BLS) on an Adult
• Perform Basic Life Support (BLS) on an Infant
• Prepare and Perform an ECG

All necessary course materials are included.

Certification(s):

This course prepares a student to take the AMCA EKG Technician Certification (ETC) national certification exam.

System Requirements:

Internet Connectivity Requirements:

• Cable, Fiber, DSL, or LEO Satellite (i.e. Starlink) internet with speeds of at least 10mb/sec download and 5mb/sec upload are recommended for the best experience.

NOTE: While cellular hotspots may allow access to our courses, users may experience connectivity issues by trying to access our learning management system.  This is due to the potential high download and upload latency of cellular connections.   Therefore, it is not recommended that students use a cellular hotspot as their primary way of accessing their courses.

Hardware Requirements:

• CPU: 1 GHz or higher
• RAM: 4 GB or higher
• Resolution: 1280 x 720 or higher.  1920x1080 resolution is recommended for the best experience.
• Speakers / Headphones
• Microphone for Webinar or Live Online sessions.

Operating System Requirements:

• Windows 7 or higher.
• Mac OSX 10 or higher.
• Latest Chrome OS
• Latest Linux Distributions
  

NOTE: While we understand that our courses can be viewed on Android and iPhone devices, we do not recommend the use of these devices for our courses. The size of these devices do not provide a good learning environment for students taking online or live online based courses.

Web Browser Requirements:

• Latest Google Chrome is recommended for the best experience.
• Latest Mozilla FireFox
• Latest Microsoft Edge
• Latest Apple Safari

Basic Software Requirements (These are recommendations of software to use):

• Office suite software (Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, or LibreOffice)
• PDF reader program (Adobe Reader, FoxIt)
• Courses may require other software that is described in the above course outline.