The Cardiovascular field is a high-tech medical field where technologists and nurses assist cardiologists to diagnose and treat heart disease. Within cardiovascular technology there are two specialties: invasive and noninvasive. Each specialty has a related RCVT exam.

Invasive Cardiovascular Technologists:

Assist cardiologists and surgeons in such surgical areas as cardiac catheterization (where small catheters are inserted through a needle into the blood vessels and into the heart), angioplasty (where balloon catheters open blocked arteries), pacemaker insertion, and open heart surgery.

The technologists act as surgical scrub assistants, monitor the patients condition, operate lab equipment, give clot dissolving drugs, and assist in emergency procedures.

Mental maturity is needed to work under pressure because a life is often at stake. If you are interested in this field, contact a hospital cardiovascular lab and spend time observing the various specialties. Most hospitals welcome this. We offer up-to-date study materials for technologists taking invasive board examinations.

Noninvasive Cardiovascular Technologists:

Operate ultrasound equipment to record images and flow patterns from the heart, do ECGs and stress tests, and evaluate arteries for blockages.

This specialty involves sophisticated electronics and computers used to evaluate a patients anatomy and physiology.

Our Cardiac Self Assessment study material assists the noninvasive technologist prepare for the Basic CV Science Exam, but we do NOT have study material for these Noninvasive Registry exams.