Care + Career

EKG rhythms provide important data for the diagnosis of heart conditions. 

Certified EKG Technicians (CETs) administer EKGs during physical exams, when cardiovascular problems are suspected, or in preparation for surgery.

The word electrocardiograph is derived from the Greek electro, meaning related to electrical activity; kardia, meaning heart; and graph, meaning "to write".

This technology is used every day, but it took a lot of scientists, inventors, and even frogs to get to where EKGs are today.

From frogs to buckets of salt water, here are a few facts to highlight the weird history of EKGs.

One of our priorities at NHA is to provide information and resources to support frontline healthcare workers like medical administrative assistants on their career journey. We recently surveyed 171 healthcare employers to gain insights and trends related to the role of medical administrative assistant to carry us into 2020 and beyond. 

Phlebotomy technicians draw blood for tests, transfusions, donations, medical procedures, and research. This role requires both technical and soft skills—technical skills to get a successful draw and avoid preanalytical errors, and soft skills to help patients feel comfortable and safe.

This specialist position changes as healthcare evolves. Take a look at a few phlebotomy technician employment trends we uncovered in our 2020 Industry Outlook research. Be sure to download the full summary PDF at the bottom of this article for more insights!

An important message from our Ascend Learning CEO

If you didn't pass your NHA certification exam, you might be feeling discouraged. It happens, and the best thing you can do is prepare and try again.

Patient Care Technicians/Assistants (CPCT/A) are critical in helping provide the day-to-day care that some patients require. This job requires a broad range of knowledge and skills, and is a vital role in caring for patients — especially those with chronic conditions.

When your role in healthcare is to perform work involving the safety of human lives, you are considered essential. Healthcare professionals just like you are continuously in the news surrounded by feel-good stories, fearful stories, and everything in-between. As healthcare workers serving on the frontlines of COVID-19, how do you bring your best self to work without leaving your family in a constant state of worry?

There are plenty of headlines in our 24-hour news cycle sharing the latest information about COVID-19. But, as a healthcare professional, you may feel like you need more in-depth information to help you prepare to work with or near patients, now and in the future.

When starting your allied health job search, it can be challenging to know where to begin. The good news is that there are a lot of resources available; the downside is that it can be overwhelming to comb through it all.

Pharmacy technician employers can be grouped into four main categories: community pharmacies (retail pharmacies), specialty pharmacies, mail-order pharmacies and hospital pharmacies.

Education and certification requirements for these roles roles can largely be the same with some extra emphasis placed on specific tasks based on the working environment. However, the day-to-day tasks of a pharmacy technician in a hospital are unique to that environment.

Whether you're currently working in a community or retail pharmacy and considering making a career change, or you're working toward your CPhT certification and are trying to decide which working environment would best suit you, it's helpful to know some key differences.

Here are 5 tasks unique to pharmacy technicians working in a hospital setting.