Monitor tech skills test?

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(please don't bump my meager request before I get a viable answer - this is not rocket science, and I need applicable Hospital Nurses input)

Please help me!

I have finished Pre-nursing up with all A's and want a 'steady' job as lowly as it may seem. EKG Tech would be next, but Monitor Tech sounds fine right now. I like to eat.

Any quick online source for READING AND INTERPRETING EKG / TELEMETRY MONITORS would be appreciated. It's for a hospital, so I'm not quite sure what all it includes. But its a stone cold test, no prerequisites, except they know I may start clinicals with them Spring semester as an RN student.

Please help my wretched soul!

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Specializes in adult ICU.

I'm a little bit confused. Did you apply already? Did you get offered the job?

I was a monitor tech my last year in nursing school in the late 90s. It was 100% on the job training. There was no pre-test required. I got the job because I had been an patient care tech in another area of the hospital and was in nursing school (had relevant experience), and got through the interview. I did have to take their telemetry classes (about 16 hours worth of training) and pass the exam at the end. I have a feeling this is what they are referring to. I would doubt that they are going to make you pass an exam to qualify for the job, but if they want someone experienced, that may be the case.

Let us know what you know, or what you find out.

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Specializes in ICU.
It was 100% on the job training. There was no pre-test required. I got the job because I had been an patient care tech in another area of the hospital and was in nursing school (had relevant experience), and got through the interview. I did have to take their telemetry classes (about 16 hours worth of training) and pass the exam at the end.

This is exactly how it went when I got my monitor tech job, as well. I had been working as a CNA, the hospital paid for me to take a 4-day dysrhythmia class, and then I had to pass the test, and then I got a certificate allowing me to watch monitors.

I don't know any online sources, though I'm sure a quick Google would turn something up. Or try a library or a bookstore for one of the many "EKGs Made Easy" or pocket reference guides in the nursing section.

Good luck!

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Thanks for the reply Grandma!

I was one of the possible students this hospital interviewed for interns this fall (they herded us like cattle). It was 120 people applying for 2 to 6 positions: except they had that many employees applying which get first crack at all internships. I think they were checking the waters out. They did like me since I had a couple of engineering degrees from GA Tech; however, I did not get internship nor accepted (at that school) for this Fall. I did get accepted for Spring though w/a 3.9 GPA average.

So the same recruiter who does all the internships wrote the letter. It will be the same training here as well, but they have a pre-test to filter applicants. Its an employer's market.

IT'S not the ekg test, but a monitor test. I figure about 24 to 26 different clips, and know how to interpret those. My problem is there are about a dozen standard rhythms or abnormalities that are common, and the next 12 to 14 have different names with indistinguishable features. If its a 4 multiple guess test, that helps; but I would like to know up front what is going on, as well as possible. This seems like a viable entry area to start learning.

PLEASE help me GRANDMA!!

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Beautiful! I will just keep getting sets until I learn all of them. Just hope my job does not evaporate first. I'd rather be concentrating on my CNA, but that will come soon enough anyway and this is good stuff.

That is actually quite comprehensive. I'll have to cut and paste for my cheat sheet to memorize it, but NICE! :-)

THANK YOU!!

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Specializes in LTC.

I'd suggest looking into some ecg books. I'm finding the ECG simulator link frustrating because I find myself going "ermmm is that a long PR? Can I please measure now?"

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They give the minimum features to indicate, so I printed all out on landscape setting w/ definition and trend across the page. Along with a couple of more, more in depth, hopefully I will all but know it after my midnight security shifts tonight and tomorrow :-)

This site has a wealth of information in posts rather than googling (except for quick definitions). Some of the quizes blew me away, but those were 12 lead graphs. I dont' think that will be on it, but I'll reserve tomorrows shift for 12 leads after I get the rhythms down tonight (that's the plan, and go to CNA school a couple of 3 hour sessions too. I'm shooting for Friday, or possibly Thursday. Friday will be one week exactly from when I got the email.

Of course I'll get books on it, but right now, the clock is ticking. I gotta eat first! :nurse:

And they will want to train me 'their' way anyway. So I can wait to see what happens at test time first.

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