All In A Day's Work: Cardiographic (EKG) Technologist

Katie Woods, lead EKG technologist at Park Nicollet Health Services' Heart and Vascular Center at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park, talks about her work.

Q: What's a typical workday like for you?

A: I perform EKGs on 10 to 15 patients per day in the hospital. I also put on Holter and 30-day event monitors, which patients wear when they have intermittent symptoms, such as faintness and heart palpitations. I also edit the EKGs interpretations after the cardiologists have read them.

Q: How does your role fit into the bigger healthcare picture?

A: I help detect potentially lethal heart rhythms. If they're detected early on, preventative measures can be taken.

Q: Who do you interact with during the course of the day?

A: I interact mainly with patients, nurses and doctors. I also help troubleshoot for the clinics that are having problems with EKG equipment, and assist them if they need a cardiologist to read an EKG immediately.

A: I majored in kinesiology in college and had some experience there with EKGs. I was working as a nursing assistant at Methodist and when I saw an opening for an EKG technologist, I decided to apply. I took a class at the hospital and learned how to do it in class and on the job.

Q: What do you like about your work?