Volunteering at a hospital, rehabilitation center or other facility to gain experience working with seriously ill people.Taking math, science, biology, computer and language courses.You can start your preparation for a career as a neurodiagnostic technologist in high school by:
Technologists who hold professional credentials, college degrees and who own their own business command the highest salaries. The mean (average) salary for all neurodiagnostic technologists across the country is $41,260, based on 2015 wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Salaries range from $31,100 for a neurodiagnostic technology program graduate just entering the field to over $70,000 per year for lab managers and independent contractors. There is a continuous need for well-educated neurodiagnostic technologists, and the demand grows as new labs open and existing labs expand. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics predicts The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 22% growth in the number of neurodiagnostic technologists between 20, much faster than the average for all health occupations. The career potential for neurodiagnostic technologists is excellent. Most procedures are performed in labs supplied with the necessary equipment required to conduct neurodiagnostic studies. Neurodiagnostic technologists work in hospitals specialized sleep and epilepsy labs private practice independent clinics patient homes educational institutions research facilities and equipment design, sales and manufacturing companies. Working Conditions | Academic Requirements | Resources Working Conditions The neurodiagnostic technologist must, therefore, have the knowledge, judgment and critical thinking skills to ensure that the results reported are accurate and complete.
Neurologists depend on neurodiagnostic technologists to provide accurate data and analysis. In this case, the neurodiagnostic technologist will monitor the patient’s EEG or evoked potentials throughout the procedure, providing the surgeon with ongoing information about the patient’s nerve function and/or brain activity. Patients undergoing certain surgical procedures require intraoperative neuromonitoring. While acquiring the study, the neurodiagnostic technologist will ensure that the patient is comfortable, answer questions about the procedure and help to relieve any anxiety, while continuously monitoring the recording for artifacts or events that require the attention of an attending physician. Neurodiagnostic monitoring procedures can last from an hour or two to prolonged continuous daily monitoring.
Technologists also are responsible for ensuring patient safety and maintaining and calibrating equipment. The EEG is the most common test performed by neurodiagnostic technologists.
Evoked potential studies, in which the technologist measures neurological responses to external stimuli to trace electrical pathways.Polysomnograms, used to diagnose sleep disorders.Long-term monitoring in epilepsy and intensive care unit/critical care continuous EEG, used to diagnose seizures and other disorders.Intraoperative neuromonitoring, which tracks brain and nerve function during surgery.Electroencephalograms (EEG), used to assess brain activity.Neurodiagnostic technologists perform a number of procedures, including: The tests performed by neurodiagnostic technologists can also help doctors uncover hidden causes of mental disorders and determine whether a patient is “brain dead.” Using specialized equipment, neurodiagnostic technologists identify normal and abnormal electrical activity in the central nervous, autonomic and peripheral nervous systems.īy recording electrical patterns throughout these systems, neurodiagnostic technologists provide valuable data that a physician will use to diagnose and treat conditions such as epilepsy, motor neuron diseases, dizziness, seizure disorders, strokes and degenerative brain disease.