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Regardless of your previous health career experience, learning how to become an EKG Technician in Oregon may be the right move for you.
In this position, you would spend most of your time connecting patients to a heart monitoring machine and taking readings on cardiac rhythms.
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Licensing Requirements to Become an EKG Technician in Oregon
After earning a degree or certification, you can now become certified as an ECG Specialist and work as an ECG Technician in the state of your choice.
Officially, you can take an on-the-job training or an ECG technician program to learn what you need to know about an ECG technician.
You have one other primary prerequisite before entering an ECK/ECG Technician training program.
That is, you need a high school diploma or GED and must be 18 years of age, according to most colleges.
In addition, the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) provides credentialing to potential new hires.
The certification offered by the NHA is the EKG Technician, and this credentialing body also provides advanced health care and technology certificates that may interest you.
The Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI) is another popular one that employers recognize.
You also could team up with the American Society of Phlebotomy Technicians to earn both EKG and phlebotomy (blood sample collection and testing) certificates.
These two certifications usually go together, by the way, and employers recommend that you have both.
5 EKG Technician Schools in Oregon
1. Southwestern Oregon Community College
This Certified EKG Technician course will prepare you to take the Certified Electrocardiogram Technician (CETS) certification exam offered by the American Association for Educational Certification.
You also can take the Certified Electrocardiogram Technician (CET) hosted by the National Health Association.
You will receive a voucher for the cost of the exam of your choice.
In addition, you will receive full National Health Association (NHA) certification as a Certified ECG Technician (CET).
What is more, this training also includes an Externship Starter Kit to meet the clinical requirements of performing 10 live ECGs before certification.
2. Brookline College
You can complete the Brookline medical assistant program in about nine months.
It provides you with the training you need for entry-level positions in an urgent care center, hospital, physician’s office, or emergency room.
This training includes an internship where you will have the opportunity to experience the electrocardiography technology specialty.
You also will experience what it is like to work in proximity to patients, physicians, administrators, and other healthcare professionals.
3. Eagle Gate College
The Eagle Gage College medical assistant program can be completed in as little as 9 months and provides you with the training you need for entry-level positions as a paramedic in a healthcare setting such as a clinic, doctor’s office, or emergency room.
The program includes an internship where you will have the opportunity to experience the electrocardiography technology specialty in close collaboration with patients, physicians, administrators, and other healthcare professionals.
4. CareerStep
The CareerStep offers a certificate program to anyone who wants to become an ECG technician.
You can apply to this training coursework as long as you have your high school diploma.
This instruction also would help you if you want to expand your health career skills.
Enrollment is ongoing for this school, by the way.
You do not have to wait for a specific start date to register.
If you participate in this online instruction, you will such as learning how to test heart rhythms.
This also includes training insecure attachment of wire electrodes to the body for accurate readings, which you will become proficient at interpreting.
During this time, you will feel more confident about preparing a patient for testing.
Hopefully, you will know for sure you have enough compassion and understanding for dealing with difficult patients too.
5. Southeast Technical College
You have the option to enroll in a certificate program that takes about a year to complete, including the summer term.
This medical billing and coding instruction includes basic classes, such as physiology, anatomy, and medical terms.
All that medical foundation will give you context for remembering the codes you need to apply to patient bills and insurance claims.
This training will enable you to use ICD and CPT coding.
EKG Technician Schools in Oregon – Summary Table
| School Name | Address |
|---|---|
| Southwestern Oregon Community College | 1988 Newmark Ave, Coos Bay, OR 97420 |
| Brookline College | 2445 W Dunlap Ave Suite 100, Phoenix, AZ 85021 |
| Eagle Gate College | 5588 S Green St Suite 150, Murray, UT 84123 |
| CareerStep | 2901 Ashton Blvd. Suite 101 Lehi, UT 84043 |
| Southeast Technical College | 2320 N Career Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57107 |
Salary
In April 2022, an Oregon Medical Billing and Coding Specialist salary update was made.
People employed in this occupation as of this time make an average of $43,277, with a range of $40,271-$47,322.
Look for Oregon jobs in cities such as Portland, Salem, Tigard, and Wilsonville.
Annual Salary Range:| Location | Avg. Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Portland | $42,000 |
| Eugene | $39,400 |
| Salem | $39,800 |
| Gresham | $41,900 |
| Beaverton | $42,000 |
| Hillsboro | $41,900 |
| Medford | $38,600 |
| Springfield | $39,400 |
| Bend | $39,000 |
| Corvallis | $39,300 |
Regional Salary in Oregon
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medford, OR | 70 | $90,380 | $43.45 | $100,320 | $64,160 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 380 | $82,530 | $39.68 | $110,400 | $47,160 |
| Salem, OR | 70 | $88,730 | $42.66 | $117,030 | $50,390 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Oregon certification eligibility requirements?
Most certification exams take about two hours, and you must wait until after you completed your educational program to take them.
You also need to have some work experience before you take your exam.
Who trains EKG Specialists in Oregon?
Workplaces have traditionally trained their own ECG/EKG technicians while those new hires are still in school.
This process usually only takes about six months, and the person receiving the training can take the certification exam after about six to 12 months.
How much training does an EKG Technician in Oregon need?
Healthcare providers can create their own unique employment requirements, not the state.
For some of them, they suggest two years of education, previous healthcare work experience, in-house training, and state certification.
Most medical centers require an unlicensed technician to work under the direct supervision of a registered nurse or licensed physician – or a person certified as an EKG Tech already.
How do I gain hands-on EKG Tech experience in Oregon?
You will attend internships and workshops throughout your educational program.
It may start with simulated computer training for practice.
Then, your instructors will help you find leads to paid and unpaid apprenticeships that help you practice your EKG technician skills.
Read the full guide: How to Become an EKG Technician
EKG Technician Schools by City
EKG Technician Schools by State