From the moment we begin school, we are asked the question “what do you want to be when you grow up?” My kindergarten yearbook has my first official answer: “a mommy and a nurse.” Of course as we grow up and start to experience new things, the answer changes. I wanted to be a Veterinarian, a Chiropractor, a Psychologist, a Writer, a Paramedic, and for a couple of years after high school I didn’t even have a clue. As mentioned in my introduction, my mother is a nurse and my family actually has quite a few other people working in the health care industry. I grew up hearing stories about the exciting intensive care unit and was always intrigued by the inner workings of a hospital.
At the age of 22, I decided it was time to pursue a professional career and every job that came to mind related back to health care. My first job in the industry was working as an Emergency Medical Responder for a non-emergency ambulance company in the Okanagan. I was primarily the ambulance attendant in the back, where I tended to the patients during transportation. The shortest call I had was a mere fifteen minute transfer and the longest call was a trip to Vancouver and back (from Penticton in the same day) totalling 19 hours. It was working as an EMR where I first encountered the not-so-luxurious side of health care. The majority of my patients were elders battling terminal illnesses and some I transferred to hospice houses where they would spend the last few days of their life. Throughout my employment I was interviewing different technologists within the hospital every chance I got. The one career that stood out among all the others was Cardiology Technology. I view it as an exciting, fulfilling, rewarding, and challenging career with a lifetime of learning possibilities. As computer technologies advance, so will the equipment and devices used as a Cardiology Tech. I tend to lose interest in things rather quickly, so I love the idea of a career that is ever-changing and evolving. Not to mention the fact that a Cardiology Tech has numerous skills instead of focusing solely one on procedure all day. They perform ECG, Holter Monitoring, Stress Tests, Event Monitoring, Phlebotomy, and Pacemaker measuring. With a list of that size, how could I ever get bored? There are so many options available to master and I can even further my education to specialize in a favourite area.
Not only are the job duties compelling and engaging, but the role itself is highly respected in the hospital. Cardiology Techs are working closely with brilliant Cardiologists who strongly value their professional opinions and consequently; establishing a mutually benefiting and ideal work environment. The cherry on top is Cardiology Techs rarely have to deal with the rather unpleasant sides of patients that a nurse would be subjected too. I also absolutely adore the concept of working in a career where the patient respects me and what I do for them. Where the patient looks up to me and seeks my advice for living with their heart conditions. It’s a career where I can be intrigued by the technology, but also truly make a difference in the world. I’ll know at the end of every day that I assisted in helping someone and maybe even saving their life. The Cardiology Tech is the first point of contact for diagnosing potentially life-threatening heart conditions. They are the ones who detect and locate the problems further leading to treatment and recovery. It’s a career that I am proud to pursue and I can’t wait to be working in the field.
Check out a video of our cardio tech students in action.
![An ECG demonstrates the extensive antero-septal-lateral myocardial infarction [heart attack] that Taryn witnessed.](https://stenbergcollege.com/wp-content/smush-webp/2022/12/ecg-1024x530.jpg.webp)
