Monitor Technician, Casual

at  UPMC

UPMC MERCY IS HIRING A CASUAL MONITOR TECHNICIAN TO SUPPORT CENTRAL TELEMETRY!

Central Telemetry encounters many patients throughout the building and can see patients at different stages of their care. We are critical in identifying heart attacks and deadly heart rhythms. The Central Telemetry Unit is the heartbeat of the hospital!
This position will work 8 or 12 hour shifts during daylight, evening and/or night. Candidates with a cardiology and/or EMT background are encouraged to apply!

PURPOSE:

Provide continuous visual surveillance of numerous patient cardiac rhythm monitors and notify appropriate nursing personnel immediately of changes and/or life-threatening dysrhythmias. Performs quality EKGs. Place and scan Holter monitors. Transtelephonic Pacemaker Clinic (if cross trained). Work is performed in patient care areas throughout the hospital. May be exposed to chemicals and infectious diseases.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Promotes and maintains desired public, interpersonal, and interdepartmental relationships and patient confidentiality.
• Demonstrates a working knowledge of the physical and electronic character of the diagnostic instrumentation used and must demonstrate equipment troubleshooting skills.
• If cross trained, conducts transtelephonic pacemaker function testing including scheduling and billing components.
• Responsible for personal job skill development and maintaining clinical expertise. Maintains certification in CPR once oriented. Attends in-service education and skill development courses as offered.
• Is available to cover subsequent shift if staffing is inadequate.
• Accurately manages ECG tracing/order matching in computerized equipment for physician on line reading and upload to electronic medical record. Completes billing for technical component of ECGs and Holters.
• Explains the nature and rationale of examinations to patients/hospital personnel in understandable terms. Completes a brief patient history prior to Holter monitor procedures. Properly positions the patient to perform the exam and make any specific preparations required to assure thoroughness and accuracy of the study.
• Supports peer personnel in daily work assignments maintaining a constant awareness of the nature and volume of work and takes necessary actions to expedite completion of procedures.
• Cleans equipment on a daily basis. Stocks supply areas and distributes inventory. Notifies key personnel or manager of need for supplies and reports need for equipment service and repair to manager or bio-med medical department.
• Responsible for receiving and accurately completing and processing requests for ECGs and Holter monitors. Ability to push ECGs machines on carts with wheels in order to perform studies in various areas throughout the hospital.
• Provides visual surveillance of numerous cardiac monitors simultaneously while maintaining 100% accuracy in terms of dysrhythmia recognition and classification (ventricular or atrial ectopic, normal or unknown). Maintains alarms per policy. Recognizes and immediately notifies appropriate hospital personnel of changes in a patient’s rhythm or life threatening dysrhythmia and documents changes on patient record system.
• If cross trained, scans Holter monitor tapes with 100% accuracy in terms of dysrhythmia recognition and classification (ventricular and atrial ectopic, pacemaker, normal and unknown).
• High school or equivalent.
• Experience in Cardiac Telemetry monitoring or EKG desired.
• Prior experience desired in a clinical or diagnostic cardiac health care setting, preferably hospital based.
• Or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Documented proficiency of cardiac dysrhythmias recognition required.
• Ability to pass hospital provided dysrhythmia course with a score of 90% or better.
• Performance of basic keyboarding skills required to operate equipment.