Cardiology Technology Week - A Day In The Life (Q&A) with Kristine & Sara
What’s your favorite part of being a Cardiology Technologist?
K:
“I think I have a few. Being able to enhance our skills we learned in our programs, communicating with patients every day and getting the opportunity to make them feel comfortable, and showing them empathy in a potentially very frightening time. I also really enjoy receiving positive feedback from patients and hearing they feel care and empathy from staff.”
S:
“I enjoy coming to work to help patients, some of them on their worst days. There’s always such a variety of work, every day looks different for us, and there’s always a wide range of things to do. I really value working as part of a bigger team to help patients get what they need, and ultimately, feel better.”
What do you wish patients knew about your role in the care of heart attacks?
K:
“I wish that patients knew the extent of our knowledge as Cardiology Technologists, and that we’re in control of their monitoring - we can help them in their time of need. If a heart attack is happening, we are the ones who can tell first, and escalate it to where the patient can receive the treatment they need, quickly. “
S:
“That Cardiology Technologists do so much more than just attach electrocardiogram (a heart tracing, also known as an ECG for short) stickers to patients. We’re the first line of defense to know a heart attack is happening, and we’re the ones watching the monitors and being able to see what’s going on underneath the symptoms. I also hope that people know that we’re capable, knowledgeable, and empowered to help patients in a difficult time.”
What do you wish patients knew about heart attacks?
K:
“That treatment starts with prevention. Living a healthy lifestyle by maintaining a heart-healthy diet, staying physically active, reducing your stress, quitting smoking, and limiting alcohol all play a huge part. I also wish more people understood that a heart attack IS life threatening. It’s important to seek medical attention right away by dialing 911.”
S:
“I wish patients knew that symptoms can show up differently in men and women when it comes to heart attacks. Typically, in men, chest pain is the most common complaint, however, women are more likely to experience shortness of breath, jaw and back pain. More people should also be aware that “silent” heart attacks are a thing, with atypical symptoms. You may not know right away that you’re having a heart attack, so if you feel out of sorts or not like yourself, it’s best to get medical help and have a confirmation.”
Describe a day in the life of your role as a Cardiology Technologist.
We do a team huddle at 8:00am, where we discuss FYIs, risks, issues, and reports
After, we go to our assignments - generally that’s the cardiology clinics, cardiac cath lab, electrophysiology (EP) lab or the emergency department, where our teammates will go over needs for the shift, we check stats, and prioritize what’s going to happen for the shift
If we’re assigned to Holter monitor (a heart monitor that you wear) analysis, we look over the Holter monitors that have been returned, and look at the most important ones
We’ll look at the 24-48 hour record, note any issues, and prepare a report for the doctor
Once it’s confirmed by the reading physician, the report is sent to the doctor who ordered the Holter test
Something to note about Holter monitors is that we analyze about 700-800 Holters per month. 70% of those are from Winnipeg hospitals, while 30% are from right here at St. Boniface Hospital. We’re the Holter analysis center for the city - the only other analysis center in Manitoba is in Brandon
We do ECGs as they’re needed and paged. There’s always a need for them across different departments in the hospital and clinic
Our goal is to prioritize each ECG based on patient need and resources - ranging from immediate procedures right behind the triage area in emergency, to within the hour for routine requests.
We make sure the patients are comfortable and feel cared for while we discuss the monitor setup and answer whatever questions they have that we can help with
When we’re done our days, we close our shift and pass any important information or stats onto the next shift taking over
Is there anything you wish other healthcare professionals or the public knew about your roles?
S:
“While Cardiology Technology is considered a small department, we cover a few different areas, and are important in the heart attack care team. At St. Boniface Hospital, there are probably about 30 of us. Our work is important, we are knowledgeable in heart attacks, and we’re the first people to see a heart attack happening by using tests and monitors.”
