EKG technician training and certification in the state of North Dakota is required prior to the provision of patient care. The state Board of Nursing requires unlicensed medical personnel to become part of their registry program. The initial cost is $30 for the application and $20 for processing. In order to register, applicants must submit documentation showing that the training has been completed in an approved program, a nationally recognized certification exam has been passed, and the criminal record check has been processed.
Delegation Regulations
Healthcare professionals are subject to high levels of liability when the quality of care provided comes under question. In order to protect the health and well-being of patients and staff, medical facilities in North Dakota are required by law to ensure that an unlicensed person is competent to perform the tasks that have been assigned. According to Chapter 54-07-03.1, competence means having the required knowledge, skills, and ability to safely perform the delegated nursing interventions accurately and according to standards of practice. All unlicensed assistive personnel must demonstrate competency in the areas of infection control, safety and emergency procedures, the collection and documentation of basic objective and subjective client data, activities of daily living, decision-making skills, the client’s rights, communication and interpersonal skills, client cognitive abilities, and age-specific needs.
Standards for delegation are covered in-depth within Chapter 54-05-04 of state rules and regulations. According to this section, licensed nurses are directly accountable and responsible to clients for the nature and quality of all of the nursing care rendered. Unlicensed assistive personnel complement the licensed nurse in the performance of nursing interventions, but may not substitute for the licensed nurse. Unlicensed assistive persons (UAP) are generally responsible to the licensed nurse to assist with client care. The decision-making process by which nursing tasks are assigned to the unlicensed members of the patient care team must include…
1) Assessment of clients and human and material resources by…
- Identifying the needs of the client
- Consulting the plan of care
- Considering the circumstances and setting
- Assuring the availability of adequate resources
2) Planning for delegation including…
- Nature of the intervention
- Predictability of the results
- Potential risk to the client
- Absence of judgment
- Competence of the UAP
- Provision of supervision
- The stability of the client
- The level of nursing judgment required
3) Implementation of the intervention including…
- Written instructions on how the intervention is performed
- Methods used to perform the intervention
- Documentation of the intervention
- Observation of the client’s response
4) Evaluation of the delegated intervention including…
- Measurement of the client’s response and goal attainment
- Modification of the intervention
- Performance of the intervention
- Feedback from the UAP
- Feedback to the UAP
It is important to understand that the licensed nurse is responsible for determining the tasks that can be delegated and evaluating the competency of the unlicensed person prior to assigning responsibilities. Interventions that require nursing knowledge, judgment, or skill may not be delegated to an unlicensed person. Such interventions may include physical, psychological, and social assessment; development of nursing diagnosis and care goals; formulation of the plan of nursing care; evaluation of the effectiveness of nursing care provided; patient education; counseling; triage; the coordination of care; medication administration; and the receiving or transmitting of verbal or phone orders.
Education and Training Requirements
While one can become an EKG technician with nothing more than a high school diploma or a GED, most administrators prefer an applicant who has completed at least a two-year allied health degree and a few years of employment in a general area of practice. Those who are new to the healthcare field and who are having some trouble securing employment as an EKG technician because of a lack of credentials may want to think about temporary employment as a medical assistant or nursing aide prior to transitioning to the cardiac care unit.
State Contact Information
North Dakota Department of Health
Phone: (701) 328-2352
Fax: (701) 328-1890
Email: dbartz@nd.gov
600 E. Boulevard Ave. Bismarck, ND 58505
Phone: (701) 328-9777
Fax: (701) 328-9785
Email: contactus@ndbon.org
919 S. 7th St., Ste. 504 Bismarck, ND 58504
