Program: AS-25565

The Cardiovascular Technology Program fosters creative, positive learning experiences within an atmosphere of academic excellence and continuous improvement. Our goal is to provide every student with the knowledge, skills, and professional attributes needed to excel within the diagnostic and interventional cardiovascular fields.

The Cardiovascular Technology Program provides students an organized curriculum that includes required general education classes in addition to the required core classes for the Invasive Cardiovascular curriculum. The Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist is a vital member of cardiac catheterization and peripheral vascular teams. His/her primary role is to assist physicians during diagnostic and interventional cardiovascular procedures, monitor patients’ hemodynamic status during the procedure, and operate specialized imaging equipment with consideration to radiation dose and safety.

Cardiovascular Technology is a highly-skilled, fast-paced specialty, requiring critical thinking vital to a patient’s diagnosis and treatment of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD). The field is expanding rapidly due to the increase in middle-aged and elderly populations nationally as well as in Polk County. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employment of cardiovascular technologists is expected to grow by approximately 27% over the next decade due to the fact that the middle-aged and elderly are predisposed to CAD and PAD as a result of the normal aging process.

Graduates from the Cardiovascular Technology Program will find employment in hospital Cardiac Cath Labs, Outpatient Cardiovascular Labs, traveling agencies, and other industry-related facilities in Florida and throughout the country. Entry level technologists can expect to make approximately $40,000 yearly. This pay is based on a 40-hour work week and has potential to increase with on-call pay and shift differential. Graduates will be eligible to take the national boards administered by Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI) for the Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS) credential. 

The Cardiovascular Technology Program is funded by a grant awarded under the President’s Community-Based Job Training Grant as implemented by the U.S. Department of Labor-Employment and Training Administration. The information contained in this program was created by a grantee and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. All references to non-governmental companies or organizations, their services, products, or resources are offered for informational purposes and should not be construed as an endorsement by the Department of Labor. This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it and is intended for individual organizational, non-commercial use only.

 ACCREDITATION

The Cardiovascular Technology Program is a limited admission allied health care program. The program is currently accredited through the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) upon the recommendation of the Joint Review Committee on Education in Cardiovascular Technology (JRC-CVT).

ADMISSION CRITERIA 

The following are minimum requirements for admission to the Cardiovascular Technology Program:

1.  Acceptance to Polk State College as a credit student with all required admission documents received by the Registrar.

2.  Completion of any required college preparatory courses.

3.  At time of admission, overall GPA of 2.00 or higher.

4.  At time of admission, a grade of C or higher in all prerequisite courses.

5. Completion of the following prerequisite courses prior to admission in the program:       

     General:

     ENC 1101    College Composition I

     BSC 2085C  Anatomy and Physiology I

     BSC 2086C  Anatomy and Physiology II

     HSC 1531    Medical Terminology

     Mathematics (one course):

     MGF 1106    Topics in Mathematics                                                     

     MAC 1105    College Algebra

     Or any higher math course

ADDITIONAL PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

These additional admission requirements are to be completed after acceptance into the program:

1.   Complete medical physical

2.   Immunization records and communicable disease screening

3.   Ten-panel Drug screening

4.   Signed Affidavit of Moral Character attesting to the non-committance of specific criminal acts

5.   Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) background check

6.   Current Healthcare Provider CPR certification

The Program Director will provide information regarding the completion of these additional admission requirements with the letter of acceptance to each student prior to beginning of each fall class.             

ADMISSION PROCESS

Students seeking admission into the program must receive a program application at the required meeting with the Program Director. Applications must be submitted no later than May 1 of each year for the August admission class. Failure to submit the proper documentation by May 1 will result in disqualification of students for the upcoming class.

A selection committee for evaluation of applications will meet in May utilizing the following criteria: college grade point average, number of credits completed that apply to general education requirements for an AS in Cardiovascular Technology, prior healthcare experience related to field of study, and establishment of Polk County residency. Notices of acceptance will be mailed to students before the end of May.

PSC reserves the right to make changes in the admission criteria as circumstances require. Every reasonable effort will be made to communicate changes in the program to potential students.

PROGRAM COST

The cost of the program is approximately $8,900. This cost includes course fees, books, uniforms, national registry fees, and ACLS Certification. This figure does not include any college preparatory courses or transportation fees associated with attending clinical rotations.

CERTIFICATION EXAMINATION

Following the completion of all requirements for graduation from the Cardiovascular Technology Program, graduates are eligible to sit for the national registry exam administered by Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI). After successful completion of this exam, the graduate will earn the credentials of Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS).

For Radiological Technologists, the option to sit for the registry administered by CCI and the registry administered by the American Registry of Radiological Technologist (ARRT) for Cardiovascular Intervention (CI) exists. After successful completion of this exam, the graduate will earn additional credentials and is listed as RT(R)(CI). If graduates opt to take both registries, they will receive the credentials RT(R)(CI), RCIS.

ELECTIVES  

Students are encouraged to add appropriate electives to their program courses as their schedule permits. Electives in areas such as computer technology, human relations, chemistry, microbiology, or other health sciences would be pertinent to careers in Cardiovascular Technology. While these courses are not required, they will serve to prepare students to enter the Allied Health Workforce and act as additional preparation for the national registries.