Program: AS-25560

The Cardiovascular Technology Program fosters creative, positive learning experiences within an atmosphere of academic excellence and continuous improvement. The curriculum provides access to the information and skills needed to excel within the diagnostic and interventional cardiovascular technology fields.

The Cardiovascular Technology Program provides an organized curriculum that includes required general education classes in addition to the required core classes for the invasive cardiovascular curriculum. Graduates of the program are eligible to sit for the Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS) credential. The RCIS 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 procedures, 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 patients’ diagnoses and treatments for Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD). According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, employment for cardiovascular technologists is expected to grow by approximately 19 percent through the year 2020.

Graduates from the Cardiovascular Technology Program can seek employment in hospital Cardiac Catheterization 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 $48,000 annually. This pay is based on a 40-hour work week and has the potential to increase with on-call pay and shift differential. Graduates of the program are eligible to take the national boards administered by Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI) for the Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS) credential. 

ACCREDITATION

The Cardiovascular Technology Program is a limited admission allied healthcare program. The program is 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 the 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’s Office.
2. Completion of any required developmental education courses.
3. Completion of admission testing, if required.
4. Overall GPA of 2.00 or higher.  Note: Effective Fall 2014, GPA requirement will change to 2.5 or higher.
5. Submission of a current Healthcare Provider CPR certification.
6. Completion of the following prerequisite courses (prior to admission in the program) with a grade of C or higher:

ENC 1101           English Composition

MAC 1105          College Algebra  OR  MGF1106 Topics in Mathematics

BSC 2085C        Anatomy and Physiology I

BSC 2086C        Anatomy and Physiology II

HSC 1531          Medical Terminology

Please note that the prerequisites for the program and the courses that can be taken prior to admission to the program can change. Students not yet admitted may be required to take additional or alternate prerequisites prior to admission to the program. 

ADDITIONAL PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

These additional admission requirements are to be completed after acceptance into the program and under the guidance of the Program Director:

1. Completion of a medical physical.
2. Submission of immunization records and communicable disease screenings.
3. Completion of a ten-panel drug screening.
4. Provision of a signed Affidavit of Moral Character attesting to the non-committal of specific criminal acts.
5. Completion of a Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) background check. 

The Program Director provides 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 may be required to complete an admission test prior to completing the application for the program. Program applications can be obtained from any academic advisor or downloaded from the program homepage. All completed applications and required paperwork must be signed and verified with an official College stamp by the academic advisor no later than April 30 of each spring term. Once an application has been verified by an advisor, the prospective student is required to submit the correct and completed application packet to the Program Director at the required advisory meeting.

A selection committee reviews all completed applications and ranks candidates utilizing the following criteria: overall college grade point average, grades received for prerequisite courses completed, grades received for general education courses completed, prior healthcare experience related to the field of study, previous degrees awarded or approved health-related certifications, and current Healthcare Provider CPR certification. Notices of acceptance are mailed to students before the end of May.

Polk State College 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 two-year program is approximately $11,000. This cost includes all course fees and tuition, books, uniforms, related healthcare requirement fees, lab fees, national registry fees and ACLS certification cost. This figure does not include fees for any assessment tests, development education 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 earns 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 earns additional credentials and is listed as RT(R) (CI). If graduates opt to take both registries, they can receive the credentials RT(R) (CI), RCIS.

ELECTIVES  

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