What Does a Biomedical Technician Do?
For the technically minded individual that would really like a career in the medical profession, becoming a biomedical technician may be just the answer.
Biomedical technicians are extremely important to the medical field because they are ultimately responsible for ensuring that all medical equipment is safe and set up properly.
This medical equipment can include the following:
- defibrillators
- heart monitors
- ventilators
- patient monitors
- electric wheelchairs
- ultrasound equipment
- X-ray machines
- CAT scanners
- operating tables
- robotic equipment
- dialysis machines
- radiation monitors
- and more
Because of the wide variety of equipment that biomedical equipment technicians must be responsible for, they have the opportunity to work in or specialize within a wide range of the branches of medicine. These include, but are not limited to: diagnostic ultrasound, mammography, film image processing, nuclear medicine, fluoroscopic and radiographic X-ray, computed topography, medical imaging, lasers, positron emission tomography (PET), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), dentistry, optometry, anesthesia, dialysis, surgery, respiratory, computers, information technology, and picture archiving and communication systems.
Even if a biomedical technician specializes in one branch of medicine, there are a lot of things he or she must do when it comes to the medical equipment. The most important thing is to inspect the equipment to ensure it is working correctly and safely. This can frequently be a life or death situation. For example, if a ventilator stops working while under the use of a patient, this can be very serious. A biomedical technician would have to quickly troubleshoot the equipment and repair it, ultimately saving the patient's life.
To avoid such high-risk and stressful situations, the biomedical technician must maintain all equipment so that it is ready for use when needed. This would include changing batteries, performing function tests, and calibrating equipment on a regular basis. As these maintenance routines are performed, the biomedical equipment technician must also keep meticulous records on what is done and when.
Another task that biomedical technicians are responsible for is installing new medical equipment. As medical technology increases, so does the creation of newer and better medical equipment. The biomedical technician must stay knowledgeable about new equipment that comes into the medical facility through either reading technical manuals or attending seminars that focus on medical equipment.
As the biomedical technician gains knowledge about medical equipment, he or she must then pass this on to medical staff such as doctors, nurses, and physical therapists. The medical equipment can only be effective if medical staff set it up and use it correctly, so biomedical technicians are very important in this capacity. Biomedical technicians must really know their equipment, because educating and advising medical staff with this knowledge is a major part of the job.
In addition to dealing with medical staff, the biomedical technician must also be prepared to deal with patients. There will be many instances when the biomedical equipment technician must work on equipment that is actively being used on or by a patient. In this instance, the biomedical technician must possess the communication and interaction skills necessary to convey confidence and instill peace of mind in a patient who may be troubled if the medical equipment is not functioning correctly.
Becoming a biomedical technician takes about two years through a technical school or community college. The military is another route to take to learn this career; the Air Force, Navy, and Army all offer training in this field. Most of the coursework revolves around electronic components and systems, with a focus on the medical setting in the second year or so.
Upon graduation from an accredited course in biomedical equipment technology, a biomedical technician can choose from a variety of work settings. The facilities where a biomedical technician can find work include: medical clinics, the military, medical equipment manufacturers or distributors, and in the biomedical or clinical engineering departments of hospitals.
While searching for work, biomedical technicians will find that the job title varies widely, depending on job location and specialty. They are also known as medical equipment repairers, biomedical electronics technicians, biomedical equipment specialists, biomedical engineering technicians, field service technicians, durable medical equipment technicians, or certified biomedical equipment technicians. In the military, they may just go by their military occupational specialty (MOS) or job codes of 68A or 4A231. However, regardless of what you call them, biomedical technicians are indisputably essential when it comes to the field of medicine.
