Credentialing Impact – Tom Riss

Tom: The day I earned my CCT credential was a defining moment in my career. It wasn’t just about the letters after my name; it was validation of hard work, dedication, and expertise. At the time I had already been in the field of cardiovascular technology for 12 years.

My first experience was working as an EKG technician at Clarkson Hospital in 2001. They had recently formed a partnership with UNMC. They rebranded as Nebraska Health System. I was the first person hired to work as an overnight EKG tech. At the time the monitor techs would cover EKG overnight. The workload was getting to be too heavy for them. At that time, I never imagined that I would reach this point in my career. I learned the ins and outs of the job from the ground up. Performing 12-lead EKGs and assisting with cardiac stress tests were my first tasks. . That included treadmills, stress echocardiograms, and even nuclear stress tests. Applying Holter and cardiac event monitors were some other duties I performed. During my last few years at my first healthcare employer, they went through a few name changes. They did settle on Nebraska Medicine!

During that time, I experienced the merging of the EKG and telemetry departments. I was the first EKG tech to join the telemetry department. I learned to scan Holter recordings and prepare the reports for the cardiologists. We took trans-telephonic calls and recordings from event monitor patients. The final skill I acquired was learning real time cardiac telemetry monitoring.

“The day I earned my CCT credential was a defining moment in my career … it was validation of hard work, dedication, and expertise.”

Tom: Yes. Earning my CRAT credential was more than a personal achievement. It validated my expertise and knowledge specific to cardiac monitoring. This is the credential most of our Cardiac Monitor Specialists take. It gave me a sense of accomplishment to add my second credential and four more letters to my email signature!

“Trying to make a good environment for patients, employees, and community outreach is my driving force.”

Tom: The meaning of care. Doing things with the patient’s wellbeing in mind. Culture at the workplace keeps me going. As leaders it’s important to ensure we create supportive environments. Striving to create a safe space to learn and grow. Crafting a good environment for patients and employees alike. We have to strive to be the best and set ourselves apart in the way we care, innovate, and educate.  

Tom: The impact of earning my credential isn’t limited to my career growth. It has a positive impact on patient care. As more credentialed techs joined Methodist Hosptial they saw the value. Not only in the experience that employees with credentials tend to have. It also shows the organization recognizes those who have made the extra effort. 

Today, as I reflect on my career journey, I am grateful for the “Aha moments” that have shaped my path. Some of the most profound have been watching new technicians learn and grow. I have great satisfaction in passing knowledge on to others. Earning my credentials were not only personal milestones. They stand as a testament to continuous learning. Marking the dedication to patient care that has defined my career.