Pros and Cons of Becoming a Registered EEG Technician
A registered EEG technician monitors electrical activity in a patient with the use of electroencephalographs (EEG). Read below about the pros and cons of becoming a registered EEG technician.
| PROS of Becoming a Registered EEG Technician |
|---|
| Opportunity to help people with medical issues* |
| Selection of work settings to choose from (hospitals, clinics, physician offices, research laboratories, etc.)** |
| Opportunities for independent and team-based work* |
| Honest and ethical position* |
| CONS of Becoming a Registered EEG Technician |
|---|
| Post-secondary education is typically necessary for this career* |
| Registration requires examinations to be passed*** |
| High stress situations can occur on the job* |
| Continuing education is necessary for re-certification*** |
Sources: *O*Net, **Alvin Community College, ***American Board of Registration of Electroencephalographic and Evoked Potential Technologists (ABRET).
Essential Career Information
Job Description
Sometimes registered EEG technicians are referred to as electroneurodiagnostic (END) technicians. These professionals monitor and record information from the spinal cord, nerve systems and the brain through the use of specialized equipment that picks up electrical activity. These are the different type of procedures you might perform in this career: long term monitoring (LTM), nerve conduction studies (NCS), intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM), evoked potential (EP) or electroencephalogram. The information collected from these procedures can be used by doctors to learn if patients have issues like degenerative brain disease, seizures, brain tumors or neuromuscular disorders.
Registered EEG technicians primarily focus and specialize on electroencephalogram procedures. You'll meet with patients before the procedure and explain what the patient can expect from the procedure. From there, you prepare the patient for the electroencephalogram and ensure that the procedure occurs smoothly. When you acquired your results, you'll present them to the physician for diagnosis.
Salary Info
As of August 2015, Salary.com reported that the median salary for registered EEG technicians was about $49,174. In the lower ten percentile of wage estimates, registered EEG technicians saw salaries closer to $38,068. Those in the top ten percentile of wage estimates of this career made roughly $59,785 annually.
Occupational Requirements
Education and Training
An associate's degree is the typical amount of education most registered EEG technicians acquire. These programs can be found at vocational schools and community colleges. As a part of these training programs, you'll typically complete an internship. This can help you understand what registered EEG technicians do on a day-to-day basis. The real world experience from the internship is normally beneficial as well when you begin to look for employment. If you can't find any educational programs specifically for registered EEG technicians, you'll want to look for something related to electroneurodiagnostic technologists.
What Do Employers Want?
Since registered EEG technicians work directly with the public, it is important to acquire interpersonal communication skills. Employers tend to prefer technicians who can effectively interact with patients in a calm and reassuring manner. An aptitude for technology is important as well for registered EEG technicians, since employers need technicians who are familiar with current machines used in the field. The ability to quickly adapt and learn how to use new technology as it is developed can be crucial too. You can learn what real employers wanted in registered EEG technicians by reading some information below that was summarized from job postings taken in December 2012.
- The ability to train staff members was a requirement for a registered EEG technician job in California.
- Familiarity with keyboards and videotape editing were two preferences ofan Ohio business looking for a registered EEG technician.
- A New York medical center preferred registered EEG technicians who had completed programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.
- A registered EEG technician position in Florida called for someone with good customer service and communication skills.
How to Stand Out as a Registered EEG Technician
Obtaining your professional credentials is the main way to stand out from EEG technicians who don't obtain certification. The registration process is normally done through the American Board of Registration of Electroencephalographic and Evoked Potential Technologists (ABRET). First, you must obtain a CPR certification along with your EEG technician education. Sometimes clinical experience can be substituted for education. From there, you can take the written examination. The examination is done in two parts. The first part covers the fundamentals of the field while the second part goes over the application of tasks performed on the job. The re-certification process for registered EEG technicians has moved to a five year cycle. In that time, continuing education requirements have to be met.
Other Vocational Options
One alternative career you may want to consider is medical laboratory technologist. In this field, you complete tests and procedures upon the request of healthcare professionals, like doctors. Technologists typically handle the complicated tests while technicians work under technologists to complete easier tasks. The type of tests you perform depends upon the field you're employed in. You might work with blood, cells or bacteria. Medical laboratory technologists have been projected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to see an 11% growth in employment from 2010 to 2020. The BLS also found that the average yearly salary for this career was about $39,000 in May 2011.
Registered nurse is another occupation you might look into pursuing. This might involve your giving the patient medicine, consulting with doctors on treatment options or assisting the patient with various activities. You'll ordinarily update the medical history of the patient as necessary. In May 2011, the BLS reported that registered nurses made around $69,000 on average annually. For the 2010-2020 decade, a 26% employment growth was expected for registered nurses by the BLS.
