Tackling New Technology

This isn’t your grandfather’s biomed. It may hold true that it isn’t your father or mother’s biomed either. Change has come to Dodge and that change is spelled; t-e-c-h-n-o-l-o-g-y.

Much has changed in the last decade and while that change can be found throughout our culture, and throughout the world, it is driven by processors and hard drives, HDTV, broadband Internet, Wi-Fi, smartphones, flash storage, 3D printers and voice recognition.

Much of that technology has found a home in healthcare settings where the latest technological advances can improve sterile environments, improve imaging, aid in communications and diagnosis and allow for the uploading of EMR (electronic medical records) data. EHR (electronic health records) has become a part of the healthcare lexicon.

For these very reasons, the HTM professional of today has to wear a more comprehensive tool belt. Electronics training has been supplemented with network knowledge. Patient safety considerations now include the safekeeping and safe transmission of patient EMR data.

Biomed managers today are worried about the shortage of clinical engineers who can work on new technology. How do clinical engineering directors find biomeds who are proficient at servicing the latest technology, which often requires IT skills? And how are college biomed programs preparing the next generation of students for the challenges of servicing increasingly complex, computerized medical equipment?

Are these relevant questions and have the requirements for a biomed new hire changed as much as was predicted a couple of years ago?

The Recruiter

“We are asked to find a biomedical equipment technician that has an associates degree in Biomedical Instrumentation or military BMET training. Our client will then describe the number of years and any specialty equipment — ventilators, anesthesia, sterilization — that they require,” says Doug Stephens, chairman of Stephens International Recruiting Inc.

“Many managers will express a desire to have any additional training and/or certification as an A+ or Net+ or other computer related training. This is becoming more prevalent as most clinical devices are now networked with other devices such as electronic medical records.”

“We are seeing many schools that now have basic computer repair training and the basic theory of networking in their curriculum for the biomedical equipment degree,” Stephens says.

 An Evolving Classroom

“Our advisory committee, made up of employers, keeps us up to date as to what changes are needed in the curriculum to meet changing skills and abilities needed by new hires,” says Roger Bowles, MS, Ed.D, CBET, department chair and professor in the Biomedical Equipment Technology Department at Texas State Technical College in Waco, Texas.

“They tell us what skills the new hires are lacking. Amazingly enough, it is the soft skills such as customer service, that they continuously stress. They tell us we are doing a good job with the technical aspect; just to beef up the soft skills.”

Scott F. Percy, D.Sc., chair and director of the Clinical Engineering program for Brown Mackie College in Tucson, Ariz. says that hands-on learning is still a valuable part of a well-rounded biomed. As healthcare employers upgrade their technology and integrate more devices to networks, there are more opportunities for students to learn real-world skills that are in demand today.

I suggest strongly, with all new students, that they volunteer in a clinical engineering or IT department in one of our many hospitals,” Percy says. “Some students will accumulate almost two years of volunteering in parallel with their college class work.”

“Of course, a big part of the student’s college classroom activity centers around IT training, coupled with electronics and current biomedical equipment classes,” he adds.

Brown Mackie College offers an associate of applied science degree in Biomedical Equipment Technology at its Tucson campus. Percy points out that with a two-year program, it is important to work the program alongside additional parallel activities to get the most benefit.

“An excellent example is our VA Hospital here in Tucson. They encourage our veteran students to apply for work/study which will pay the student while they learn the latest in biomedical and IT skills. Other hospitals here also gladly welcome our students as volunteers with the same type of learning experiences,” Percy says.

“I find it heartening when I see the growth of one of our volunteering students. It can be quite amazing. Some students actually spread out their volunteer time between two or more facilities, which gives them an outstanding bit of education,” he adds.

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