Florida Department of Education
Curriculum Framework 

Program Title:	Electrocardiograph Technology 
Program Type:	Career Preparatory
Career Cluster:	Health Science

Career Certificate Program	
Program Number	H170208	
CIP Number	0351090203	
Grade Level	30, 31	
Program Length	465 hours	
Teacher Certification	Refer to the Program Structure section.	
CTSO	HOSA	
SOC Codes (all applicable) 	Please see the CIP to SOC Crosswalk located at the link below.	
CTE Program Resources 	http://www.fldoe.org/academics/career-adult-edu/career-tech-edu/program-resources.stml 	
Basic Skills Level	Computation (Mathematics):	9	Communications (Reading and Language Arts):	9	

Purpose

This program offers a sequence of courses that provides coherent and rigorous content aligned with challenging academic standards and relevant technical knowledge and skills needed to prepare for further education and careers in the Health Science career cluster; provides technical skill proficiency, and includes competency-based applied learning that contributes to the academic knowledge, higher-order reasoning and problem-solving skills, work attitudes, general employability skills, technical skills, and occupation-specific skills, and knowledge of all aspects of Health Science career cluster. 

The program is designed to prepare students for employment as electrocardiograph aides, electrocardiograph technicians, EKG Technicians, cardiovascular technologists and technicians or to provide supplemental training for persons previously or currently employed in this occupation.  

The content includes but is not limited to communication and interpersonal skills, overview of human anatomy and physiology with emphasis on cardiac and vascular systems, medical terminology and transcription, patient care techniques, medical instrumentation, cardiovascular drugs, interpretation of monitoring and testing results, medical ethics, cardiac wellness and rehabilitation, safe and efficient work practices, CPR, Basic Life Support (BLS) and employability skills.

Additional Information relevant to this Career and Technical Education (CTE) program is provided at the end of this document.

Program Structure

This program is a planned sequence of instruction consisting of 3 occupational completion points.

This program is comprised of courses which have been assigned course numbers in the SCNS (Statewide Course Numbering System) in accordance with Section 1007.24 (1), F.S.  Career and Technical credit shall be awarded to the student on a transcript in accordance with Section 1001.44(3) (b), F.S.

To teach the courses listed below, instructors must hold at least one of the teacher certifications indicated for that course.

The following table illustrates the postsecondary program structure:

OCP	Course Number	Course Title	Teacher Certification	Length	
A	HSC0003	Basic Healthcare Worker	LAB TECH @7 7G 
EKG  7 G
REG NURSE  7 G
RESP THER @7 7G 
PARAMEDIC @7 7G 
MED ASST   7G
PRAC NURSE @7  %7%G  (Must be a Registered Nurse) 	90 hours	
B	MEA0540	EKG Aide 		75 hours	
C	MEA0541	EKG Technician  		300 hours	

Common Career Technical Core – Career Ready Practices

Career Ready Practices describe the career-ready skills that educators should seek to develop in their students.  These practices are not exclusive to a Career Pathway, program of study, discipline or level of education.  Career Ready Practices should be taught and reinforced in all career exploration and preparation programs with increasingly higher levels of complexity and expectation as a student advances through a program of study. 

1. Act as a responsible and contributing citizen and employee. 

2. Apply appropriate academic and technical skills. 

3. Attend to personal health and financial well-being. 

4. Communicate clearly, effectively and with reason. 

5. Consider the environmental, social and economic impacts of decisions. 

6. Demonstrate creativity and innovation. 

7. Employ valid and reliable research strategies. 

8. Utilize critical thinking to make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. 

9. Model integrity, ethical leadership and effective management. 

10. Plan education and career path aligned to personal goals. 

11. Use technology to enhance productivity. 

12. Work productively in teams while using cultural/global competence. 

Standards

After successfully completing this program, the student will be able to perform the following:

01.0	Demonstrate knowledge of the healthcare delivery system and health occupations.
02.0	Demonstrate the ability to communicate and use interpersonal skills effectively.
03.0	Demonstrate legal and ethical responsibilities.
04.0	Demonstrate an understanding of and apply wellness and disease concepts.
05.0	Recognize and practice safety and security procedures.
06.0	Recognize and respond to emergency situations.
07.0	Recognize and practice infection control procedures.
08.0	Demonstrate an understanding of information technology applications in healthcare.
09.0	Demonstrate employability skills.
10.0	Demonstrate knowledge of blood borne diseases, including HIV/AIDS.
11.0	Apply basic math and science skills. 
12.0	Describe the cardiovascular system.
13.0	Identify legal and ethical responsibilities of an EKG aide.
14.0	Demonstrate knowledge of, apply and use medical instrumentation modalities.
15.0	Perform patient care techniques in the health care facility.
16.0	Recognize normal and abnormal monitoring and testing results.
17.0	Describe cardiovascular drugs, their actions, use, and adverse effects.
18.0	Demonstrate knowledge of other cardiovascular diagnostic modalities.
19.0	

Florida Department of Education
Student Performance Standards

Program Title:	Electrocardiograph Technology
Career Certificate Program Number: 	H170208

The Basic Health Care Worker (HSC0003) is referred to as the Health Science Core and is the first OCP in the majority of the Career Certificate Program health science programs. Secondary and Postsecondary students completing the health science core will not have to repeat the core in any other health science program in which it is a part.  When the recommended sequence is followed, the structure allows students to complete at specified points for employment or remain for advanced training or cross-training.

Career Certificate Program Course Number:  HSC0003
Occupational Completion Point:  A 
Basic Healthcare Worker – 90 Hours	
 
To ensure consistency whenever these courses are offered, the health science core standards (1-11) and benchmarks have been placed in a separate document. To access this document, visit this link: 
https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/20706/urlt/health-sci-core-psav-cc-2425.rtf

Course Number: MEA0540
Occupational Completion Point: B
EKG Aide – 75 Hours	
12.0	Describe the cardiovascular system.  The student will be able to:	
12.01	Locate the heart and surrounding structures.	
12.02	Diagram and label the parts of the heart and list the functions of each labeled part.	
12.03	Trace the flow of blood through the cardiopulmonary system.	
12.04	Identify and describe the electrical conduction system.	
12.05	Describe the function of the autonomic nervous system.	
12.06	Describe signs and symptoms of a patient demonstrating poor perfusion or low cardiac output and state the importance of rapid reporting.	
13.0	Identify legal and ethical responsibilities of an EKG aide.  The student will be able to:	
13.01	Recognize and practice legal and ethical responsibilities as they relate to an EKG aide.	
13.02	Maintain a safe and efficient work environment.	
13.03	Maintain EKG equipment per manufacture’s guidelines so it will be safe and accurate.	
13.04	Implement appropriate Joint Commission patient safety goals and adhere to HIPAA regulations regarding protected health information (PHI).	
14.0	Demonstrate knowledge of, apply, and use medical instrumentation modalities.  The student will be able to:	
14.01	Calibrate and maintain EKG equipment in the work environment.	
14.02	Identify three types of lead systems (standard/limb, augmented, and precordial/chest).	
14.03	Apply the concepts and history of Einthoven's triangle and Wilson’s Central Terminal to EKG tracing.	
14.04	Demonstrate proper lead placement including lead placement with special considerations for various patients with special needs to include pediatric, amputees, and posterior and right sided EKGs.	
14.05	Identify artifacts and mechanical problems.	
14.06	Perform a 3, 5, and 12 lead EKG.	
14.07	Recognize normal sinus rhythm.	
14.08	Report dysrhythmias that are not normal sinus rhythm.	
14.09	Recognize signs and symptoms of cardiopulmonary compromise on the EKG tracing and understand the importance of rapid reporting. .	
14.10	Verify accuracy of lead placement on the EKG.	
14.11	Verify settings on the EKG machine such as paper speed, sensitivity (gain), and Hertx (Hz) prior to use. 	
15.0	Perform patient care techniques in the health care facility.  The student will be able to:	
15.01	Describe the physical and mental preparation of the patient for EKG testing.	
15.02	Identify patient and verify the requisition order.	
15.03	Prepare patient for cardiovascular diagnostic testing.	
15.04	Obtain patient’s vitals (temperature, pulse, respirations, blood pressure, and pulse oximetry) in preparation for cardiovascular diagnostic testing and report abnormalities. 	
15.05	State precautions required when performing cardiovascular diagnostic procedures. 	
15.06	Convey the importance of maintaining a safe patient environment and evaluate potential hazards in the work environment.	

Course Number: MEA0541
Occupational Completion Point: C
EKG Technician – 300 Hours	
16.0	Recognize normal and abnormal monitoring and testing results.  The student will be able to:	
16.01	Inspect and measure the various waveforms of a cardiac cycle including segments, complexes, heart rates and intervals.	
16.02	Identify electrical axis.	
16.03	Recognize pacemaker spikes on the EKG and state the purpose of pacemakers.	
16.04	Recognize normal and deviations from normal sinus rhythms.	
16.05	Recognize all atrial rhythms.	
16.06	Recognize all junctional rhythms.	
16.07	Recognize all ventricular rhythms.	
16.08	Recognize all types of heart blocks.	
16.09	Recognize normal and deviations from single chamber and dual chamber pacemakers, as well as all implantable cardioverter defibrillators.	
16.10	Identify myocardial ischemia, injury, and infarction on EKG tracing.	
16.11	Recognize atrial and ventricular hypertrophies.	
16.12	Recognize ectopic beats and any rare phenomena.	
16.13	Recognize normal and deviations from normal 12 lead EKG results.	
16.14	Describe potential patient responses to all dysrhythmias and other EKG abnormalities.	
16.15	Recognize and respond promptly to life threatening dysrhythmias during continuous monitoring such as telemetry. 	
17.0	Describe cardiovascular drugs, their actions, use and adverse effects.  The student will be able to:	
17.01	Describe the mechanisms by which common cardiovascular drugs work including actions and adverse effects.	
17.02	Differentiate between normal and abnormal EKG changes potentially due to drugs.	
18.0	Demonstrate knowledge of other cardiovascular diagnostic modalities.  The student will be able to:	
18.01	 Demonstrate knowledge of the application of a Holter Monitor and ambulatory monitor and provide patient education of its use.	
18.02	Demonstrate the procedures for stress testing/scanning exercise treatment and provide patient education. 	
18.03	Understand and demonstrate patient documentation for all types of monitoring.	
18.04	Describe other modalities of cardiovascular diagnosis and interpretation.	
18.05	Understand patient cardiac alarm policy per acceptable facility guidelines. 	

Additional Information

Laboratory Activities

Laboratory investigations that include scientific inquiry, research, measurement, problem solving, emerging technologies, tools and equipment, as well as, experimental, quality, and safety procedures are an integral part of this career and technical program/course. Laboratory investigations benefit all students by developing an understanding of the complexity and ambiguity of empirical work, as well as the skills required to manage, operate, calibrate and troubleshoot equipment/tools used to make observations. Students understand measurement error; and have the skills to aggregate, interpret, and present the resulting data. Equipment and supplies should be provided to enhance hands-on experiences for students.

Special Notes

This cluster of programs focuses on broad, transferable skills and stresses understanding and demonstration of the following elements of the health care industry; planning, management, finance, technical and production skills, underlying principles of technology, labor issues, community issues and health, safety, and environmental issues.

Students must complete the core, or demonstrate the mastery of skills standards contained in the core, before advancing in the program. The Core should be taken first in the program. Following the successful completion of the core, the student is eligible to take the National Health Care Foundation Skill Standards Assessment with instructor approval and the completion of a portfolio. 

This program meets the Department of Health’s education requirements for HIV/AIDS, Domestic Violence and Prevention of Medical Errors.  Although not a requirement for initial licensure, it is a requirement for renewal, therefore the instructor may provide a certificate for renewal purposes to the student verifying these requirements have been met.

If students in this program are seeking a licensure, certificate or registration through the Department of Health, please refer to 456.0635, F.S. for more information on disqualification for a license, certificate, or registration through the Department of Health. 

A voluntary national certification is available through an exam offered by the National Health Career Association, 194 Rt. 46 East, Fairfield, NJ 07004 (973-244-0023). To be eligible students must:

1. Have a High School Diploma or equivalency and have completed an NHA approved training program.
OR
2. Have a High School Diploma or equivalency and have worked in the field for a minimum of one year.

Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO)

HOSA: Future Health Professionals is the co-curricular career and technical student organization providing leadership training and reinforcing specific career and technical skills. Career and Technical Student Organizations provide activities for students as an integral part of the instruction offered. 

Cooperative Training – OJT

On-the-job training is appropriate but not required for this program.  Whenever offered, the rules, guidelines, and requirements specified in the OJT framework apply. 

Basic Skills 

In Career Certificate programs offered for 450 hours or more, in accordance with Rule 6A-10.040, F.A.C., the minimum basic skills grade levels required for postsecondary adult career and technical students to complete this program are:  Computation (Mathematics) and Communications (Reading and Language Arts). These grade level numbers correspond to a grade equivalent score obtained on a state designated basic skills examination.  

Adult students with disabilities, as defined in Section 1004.02, Florida Statutes, may be exempted from meeting the Basic Skills requirements (Rule 6A-10.040).  Students served in exceptional student education (except gifted) as defined in s. 1003.01, F.S., may also be exempted from meeting the Basic Skills requirement.  Each school district and Florida College System Institution must adopt a policy addressing procedures for exempting eligible students with disabilities from the Basic Skills requirement as permitted in Section 1004.91, F.S.

Accommodations

Federal and state legislation requires the provision of accommodations for students with disabilities to meet individual needs and ensure equal access. Postsecondary students with disabilities must self-identify, present documentation, request accommodations if needed, and develop a plan with their counselor and/or instructors. Accommodations received in postsecondary education may differ from those received in secondary education. Accommodations change the way the student is instructed. Students with disabilities may need accommodations in such areas as instructional methods and materials, assignments and assessments, time demands and schedules, learning environment, assistive technology and special communication systems. Documentation of the accommodations requested and provided should be maintained in a confidential file.

Note: postsecondary curriculum and regulated secondary programs cannot be modified.