Position Overview
EMG technicians are hired by hospitals and diagnostic facilities where their main work is to ensure that assigned patients are prepared for electromyographic tests, and that appropriate results are obtained and documented.
These individuals work with patients and other technicians throughout their shifts, which is why it is important for them to be exceptionally well-versed in communicating with people from different walks of life.
Position Requirements
An associate’s degree in health sciences or an equivalent combination of education and experience is required to work at this position. In addition to this, one has to be exceptionally well-versed in using and maintaining EMG machines.
Also, one has to be able to work on set timelines, as there are usually many patients that one has to perform EMG tests on during the course of a shift. Working at this position means that you will need to be well-versed with the equipment that you will be handling, so a little training is in order when you join a new place, or when a new piece of equipment is introduced to you.
Since this work involves close contact with patients, it is essential for one to maintain confidentiality, and protect patient data and test outcomes, according to the policies of the hospital that one is working for.
Here is a list of job duties that are particular to the position of an EMG technician:
EMG Technician Duties and Responsibilities
• Look through patients’ files to determine requirements for EMG testing, and confer with attending doctors and nurses to obtain further information.
• Prepare patients by providing them with information on what to expect during EMG test procedures, and to put their fears to rest.
• Calibrate and adjust EMG equipment and machines at the beginning of each shift, to ensure that they are working properly.
• Assist patients by providing them with support in changing into gowns, and putting away their clothes in safe places.
• Apply gels on patients’ skins and ensure that suitable electrodes are placed on predetermined measured positions.
• Measure electrical activity in peripheral nerves in a bid to diagnose neuromuscular disorders.
• Attach electrodes to electrode cables and connect them to EMG instruments, along with selecting nerve conduction modes.
• Monitor responses on oscilloscopes and press buttons to record nerve conduction velocities.
• Measure and record time and distance between stimulation and response, and calculate the electrical impulses present in peripheral nerves.
• Write, document and submit reports on each patients’ response to EMG procedures and tests, and ensure that all files and outcomes are confidentially stored.