Cardiac Care
Overview
Get a job at a medical practice, cardiac care center, or a hospital when you choose this career path. At MTC, you’ll learn how to prepare patients for testing and monitoring the electrical activity of the heart.
The Cardiac Care Technician certificate will provide a foundation in health care careers, communication, soft skills, computers, and anatomy and physiology. Students will develop the basic skills necessary to monitor patients for any type of cardiac involvement in a healthcare setting. The student will be able to interpret basic ECGs and recognize cardiac dysrhythmias. Instructional methods will be varied including classroom, lab, online/hybrid, simulation/virtual reality, and clinical rotations.
The Cardiac Care Technician certificate can be combined with the Nursing Assistant Certificate and the Phlebotomy Certificate to earn stackable, short-term, entry-level certificates in the health care arena. Upon completion of this certificate, the student will be eligible to take a nationally recognized certification exam. Employment opportunities in South Carolina include positions in hospitals, medical and diagnostic laboratories, and doctors’ offices.
Students must receive a grade of “C” or better on all Cardiac Care Technician certificate courses. Students must pass a final comprehensive exit examination to graduate from the program. Students may not repeat certificate courses more than once, nor may they progress to the next semester until that course is passed. Students may repeat only two Cardiac Care Technician certificate courses. Students are required to purchase uniforms, name tags, and other supplies needed for labs/clinicals.
Students will rotate through hospitals, medical and diagnostic laboratories, and clinics in the MTC service area for practical experience in ECG and cardiac monitoring. Students will be required to comply with regulations required by off-campus clinical sites, which might include fingerprinting, background checks, and drug screenings.
Program Type
Academic CertificateHow to Enroll
To pursue this degree, you must apply to MTC using our online application.
Questions?
Sample Program Plan and Costs
Class Delivery Methods
View current courses offered via our online course directory.
| On-Campus | Traditional. Classes meet on campus. |
|---|---|
| Virtual | 100% online. Meets with a live instructor and classmates on specific days, at specific times. Uses web conferencing software, like Zoom. |
| Hybrid | Some classes on campus. Some classes online or virtual. |
| Online | 100% online. Due dates for projects and assignments. Self-paced work on your time. |
Full Time
| Semester | Course ID | Course Title | Classroom | Online | Hybrid | Virtual | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 (12 Credit Hours) |
ENG-160 |
Technical Communications Technical Communications ID: ENG-160 Credit Hours: 3 This course is a study of various technical communications such as definitions, processes, instructions, descriptions, and technical reports. |
• | • | • | 3 | |
| AHS-180 |
Health Careers Preparation Health Careers Preparation ID: AHS-180 Credit Hours: 3 This course includes selected topics such as study skills, test-taking skills, critical thinking, problem solving, ethics, health careers test preparation and other topics to promote student success. |
• | • | • | 3 | ||
| AHS-102 |
Medical Terminology Medical Terminology ID: AHS-102 Credit Hours: 3 This course covers medical terms, including roots, prefixes, and suffixes, with emphasis on spelling, definition, and pronunciation. |
• | • | 3 | |||
| BIO-110 |
General Anatomy and Physiology General Anatomy and Physiology ID: BIO-110 Credit Hours: 3 This course is a general introduction to the anatomy and physiology of the human body. Emphasis is on the organ systems of the human and their interrelationships. |
• | 3 | ||||
| Semester 2 (9 Credit Hours) |
AHS-145 |
Electrocardiography Electrocardiography ID: AHS-145 Credit Hours: 2 This course provides the basic skills necessary to perform ECGs in a hospital, physician's office or other health care setting. The student will be able to perform and interpret basic ECGs. |
• | 2 | |||
| AHS-156 |
Electrocardiography Prac Electrocardiography Prac ID: AHS-156 Credit Hours: 1 This course provides a detailed study and practice necessary to perform ECGs in a hospital, physician's office or other health care setting. The student will be able to perform and interpret basic ECGs. |
• | 1 | ||||
| AHS-131 |
Computers in Healthcare Computers in Healthcare ID: AHS-131 Credit Hours: 3 This course is the study of the hardware and software used in various healthcare settings including information systems, computerized medical interfaces, telemedicine, networking, as well as other basic computer applications. |
• | • | 3 | |||
| AHS-205 |
Ethics and Law for Allied Health Profess Ethics and Law for Allied Health Profess ID: AHS-205 Credit Hours: 3 This course is an introduction to ethical, bioethical and legal concepts related to allied health professions. |
• | • | 3 | |||
| Semester 3 (4 Credit Hours) |
AHS-177 |
Cardiac Monitoring Application Cardiac Monitoring Application ID: AHS-177 Credit Hours: 4 This course is a study of cardiac monitoring techniques including basic cardiovascular anatomy and physiology, electrophysiology, rhythms and dysrhythmia recognition and equipment maintenance. |
• | 4 | |||
| Total Credit Hours | 25 | ||||||
| Estimated Cost Financial Aid |
$5,000.00 Not including fees and equipment |
||||||
Part Time
| Semester | Course ID | Course Title | Classroom | Online | Hybrid | Virtual | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 (6 Credit Hours) |
ENG-160 |
Technical Communications Technical Communications ID: ENG-160 Credit Hours: 3 This course is a study of various technical communications such as definitions, processes, instructions, descriptions, and technical reports. |
• | • | • | 3 | |
| AHS-180 |
Health Careers Preparation Health Careers Preparation ID: AHS-180 Credit Hours: 3 This course includes selected topics such as study skills, test-taking skills, critical thinking, problem solving, ethics, health careers test preparation and other topics to promote student success. |
• | • | • | 3 | ||
| Semester 2 (6 Credit Hours) |
AHS-102 |
Medical Terminology Medical Terminology ID: AHS-102 Credit Hours: 3 This course covers medical terms, including roots, prefixes, and suffixes, with emphasis on spelling, definition, and pronunciation. |
• | • | 3 | ||
| BIO-110 |
General Anatomy and Physiology General Anatomy and Physiology ID: BIO-110 Credit Hours: 3 This course is a general introduction to the anatomy and physiology of the human body. Emphasis is on the organ systems of the human and their interrelationships. |
• | 3 | ||||
| Semester 3 (3 Credit Hours) |
AHS-145 |
Electrocardiography Electrocardiography ID: AHS-145 Credit Hours: 2 This course provides the basic skills necessary to perform ECGs in a hospital, physician's office or other health care setting. The student will be able to perform and interpret basic ECGs. |
• | 2 | |||
| AHS-156 |
Electrocardiography Prac Electrocardiography Prac ID: AHS-156 Credit Hours: 1 This course provides a detailed study and practice necessary to perform ECGs in a hospital, physician's office or other health care setting. The student will be able to perform and interpret basic ECGs. |
• | 1 | ||||
| Semester 4 (6 Credit Hours) |
AHS-131 |
Computers in Healthcare Computers in Healthcare ID: AHS-131 Credit Hours: 3 This course is the study of the hardware and software used in various healthcare settings including information systems, computerized medical interfaces, telemedicine, networking, as well as other basic computer applications. |
• | • | 3 | ||
| AHS-205 |
Ethics and Law for Allied Health Profess Ethics and Law for Allied Health Profess ID: AHS-205 Credit Hours: 3 This course is an introduction to ethical, bioethical and legal concepts related to allied health professions. |
• | • | 3 | |||
| Semester 5 (4 Credit Hours) |
AHS-177 |
Cardiac Monitoring Application Cardiac Monitoring Application ID: AHS-177 Credit Hours: 4 This course is a study of cardiac monitoring techniques including basic cardiovascular anatomy and physiology, electrophysiology, rhythms and dysrhythmia recognition and equipment maintenance. |
• | 4 | |||
| Total Credit Hours | 25 | ||||||
| Estimated Cost Financial Aid |
$5,000.00 Not including fees and equipment |
||||||
What’s next after I complete this program?
Transfer to a four-year school to obtain a bachelor’s degree.
A bachelor’s degree in cardiovascular technology offers clinical training within one or more areas of cardiovascular diagnostics: invasive, noninvasive, and vascular specialties. This prepares the student for careers in hospitals, doctor’s offices, medical and diagnostic laboratories, and imaging centers.
Enter the workforce
Many local hospitals offer employment (full time/part-time/PRN) as an EKG Specialist or Telemetry Monitor Technician.
Continue at MTC with another credential
The Cardiac Care certificate graduate can continue at MTC and pursue the Nursing Assistant certificate, along with the Phlebotomy certificate, and gain employment as a Patient Care Technician (PCT) within the hospital setting.