Monitor technician jobs are found in both the medical and computer industries. A medical monitor technician can specialize in working with ultrasound equipment, vascular testing procedures, or electrocardiograph (EKG) machines. In contrast, a network operations monitor technician maintains large computer networks for a variety of different businesses.
Echocardiographers use ultrasound machines to create a picture of a patient's heart and internal chambers. This monitor technician job requires preparation of the patient, as well as the machine. Medicine may need to be administered to the person before the ultrasound procedure, ensuring patient safety and well-being. The technician arranges the machine's physical orientation and sets the testing parameters for the best ultrasound image output.
Testing the vascular system is another choice of different monitor technician jobs. Various non-invasive instruments are used to gauge the patient's blood flow through the main organs and extremities. The technician reports all the information to doctors or nurses to determine any subsequent treatment procedures. Good hearing skills are necessary for this position, requiring the technician to listen carefully to heartbeats and blood flow through instrumentation pressed against the patient's body.
Another common position within all of the monitor technician jobs is working with an EKG. The technician must be able to apply electrodes to specific body parts and run the attached EKG machine. As a result, the machine prints out a visual graph of the patient's heart rhythm, allowing the doctor to see any aberrations during normal resting periods. Incorrectly placed electrodes can produce inaccurate results, resulting in a poor diagnosis from the doctor; monitor technician jobs require attention to detail and following standard procedures.
In contrast, network operations monitor technician jobs involve regulating computer systems, rather than the human body. Unlike a computer repair technician, monitor technicians observe the computer system for security breaches or access errors. Preferably, the monitor technician should find and resolve internal computer problems before employees, or other users, uncover any errors. As a result, this fast resolution by the monitor technician improves employee productivity.
Medical monitor technicians must have a two year degree from an accredited medical trade school, or even a four year degree. The worker must be well versed in human anatomy and physiology, as well as having technical experience with the cardiac machines used in the medical industry. In contrast, the network operations monitor technician position normally demands a four year degree in computer technology. In addition, hands on experience is a benefit for both medical and computer monitor technician jobs.