NHA EKG Technician study guide
NHA EKG Technician · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Certified EKG Technician (CET) credential is one of the certifications offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA), an allied health certification body that states it has served allied health since 1989 and has awarded over 1 million nationally recognized certifications. NHA lists the EKG Technician role as one that administers a variety of cardiovascular tests, and describes its certifications as NCCA-accredited and recognized by employers nationwide. The NHA EKG Technician study guide has 4 sections and about 1,521 words.
01Patient Preparation, Safety, and Infection Control
Confirm identity with two identifiers (full name plus date of birth or medical record number) before you touch the patient or the machine. Explain the procedure in plain language, obtain consent per facility policy, provide privacy, and position the patient supine with arms at the sides and legs uncrossed.
344 words, about 2 min02Cardiovascular Anatomy, Physiology, and Electrophysiology
Four chambers and four valves move blood in one direction: superior and inferior vena cava to right atrium, tricuspid valve to right ventricle, pulmonary valve to the lungs, pulmonary veins to left atrium, mitral valve to left ventricle, aortic valve to the aorta. The right heart handles deoxygenated blood; the left heart pumps oxygenated blood systemically.
394 words, about 2 min03EKG Equipment, Lead Placement, and Tracing Acquisition
Standard 12-lead EKGs run at 25 mm/s paper speed and 10 mm/mV gain; the standardization mark at the start of each row is 10 mm tall and 2 mm wide (0.2 s). Verify calibration before you measure intervals - changing gain alters amplitude but not duration.
385 words, about 2 min04Rhythm Recognition, Interpretation, and Reporting
Read every tracing the same way: rate, regularity, P waves, PR interval, QRS width, then ST-T changes and comparison with prior EKGs. Rate by the large-box method (300 divided by large boxes between R waves gives 300, 150, 100, 75, 60, 50, 43) or by 1500 divided by small boxes.
398 words, about 2 min