Cardiology Technicians

The need for technical assistance in the cardiology department was evident from the very beginning of the service.   Soon after Dr Bowerbank acquired the hospital's first electrocardiograph machine and a Kendrick basal metabolism apparatus, the Hospital Board agreed to - 

"a specially trained nurse to be appointed as a technician to attend to the electro-cardiograph and metabolism machine, at a salary of £200/annum (non-resident) from 1/4/1927".

The nurse appointed to this position was Muriel Tattersall

In 1940, Joan Stevenson-Wright succeeded Muriel Tattersall and an additional nurse/technician, Sister Sheila Carmody, was appointed in 1944, remaining there until 1955.   Sister Stevenson-Wright remained in the Department until 1964.

By then it had been decided that the technician role did not require to be carried out by a nurse, and a number of Clerk/Technicians were appointed.  Their role expanded from recording and mounting ECGs, to include roles in the cardiac catheterisation laboratory and in the cardiac theatre.

CLERK TECHNICIANS

In the late 1950s and 1960s, technicians employed in both Cardiology and Hypertension had the designation of Clerk Technician.   Staff with the same designation were also employed in other areas such as the Chest Clinic and possibly in the Pathology Laboratory.   From sources available to me, it has not always been possible to identify where a Clerk Technician was employed. 
Below I have listed names and tenure for those Clerk Technicians whose precise role has not been identified, in the hope that a reader will recognise the name(s) of person(s) who worked in either Cardiology or Hypertension.

In 1969, the designation "Clerk/Technician" was replaced by "Technician".

I would welcome any further information on the above

CARDIOLOGY TECHNICIANS

In 1969 the NZ Society of Cardiological Technicians was established and a three year training course was set up at Green Lane Hospital.  Trainee technicians from Wellington Hospital were able to enrol in the course by correspondence, and received tuition from local cardiologists, respiratory physicians, biomedical technicians and others.  Associate membership of the Society was awarded after one year of study and full membership after a final examination at the end of three years, held at Green Lane Hospital. 
In time the Society was renamed the Society of Cardiopulmonary Technology, as it included respiratory technicians. 

In 1972 a Charge Cardiology Technician appointment was created to oversee the work of a growing establishment of technicians.

From the mid 1960s until 1989, cardiology technicians' duties included monitoring pressures in theatre for cardiac surgical procedures.   Subsequently this role was taken over by anaesthetic technicians.

Since the 1980s, when echocardiography began to flourish and cardiac pacing numbers increased, additional roles for technicians developed, and in time individual technicians specialised in particular areas of cardiology.   More than ever, the operation of a modern cardiology service depended on the skills and knowledge of these valuable staff members.

FORMER CHARGE TECHNICIANS

Ian Weaver 1972 - 1975	Frances Stewart 1975 - 1977	Gwen Hunter 1977 - 1984
1984 - 1989	Helen Templeton 1989 - 1991	1991 - 1994
Carol Allan 1994 - 1995	Amanda Garlick 1995 - 1996	Alison Young 1997
Hazel Milliken 1998 - 2003	Graham Orsbourn 2003 - 2006	Stephanie Morrison 2006

Cardiology Technicians have come to be known as Cardiac Technologists in recent years.

A major change in training and certification of cardiac technologists occurred in the early years of the 21st century.   The previous method of training which operated under the auspices of the Association of Cardiopulmonary Technicians was replaced with a university-based system.

To enroll in this new training programme, students are required to be a graduate or to possess an appropriate health professional qualification requiring at least three years tertiary level study.
The postgraduate two-year course is run nationally by the University of Otago.   This leads to a PG Diploma in Medical Technology (PGDipMedTech).  Such a diploma, together with the Cardiac Clinical Physiologists practical examination, entitles the bearer to be known as a Clinical Cardiac Physiologist although in Wellington at least, the term Cardiac Technologist seems to have remained.   Students can elect to take just the first year of this course and receive the PG Certificate in Medical Technology.
At the time of the transition from the old ASCT-based training, there was provision for existing trained cardiology technicians to become cardiac physiologists under a grandparent scheme.

The Society of Cardiopulmonary Technicians, the professional body, conducts an unstructured one year programme leading to a Certificate of Physiological Measurement for the second tier workforce - Physiology Technicians.

For the purposes of this history, I will still refer to these important members of the Cardiology staff as Cardiology Technicians.

However, it is clear to me that there has been a significant up-skilling of this workforce since I retired in 2000.
To a degree, this change has been essential to allow some of the new services provided by Cardiology to happen.  Such upskilling is particularly evident in the Pacing and EP service.

In the following pages are listed the names of all the former technicians that I have been able to identify, and where known, their tenure in the service.

Several surnames are unknown.  Ron would welcome any knowledge of these missing names, and of missing dates of tenure.

PAULA RHODES

On 26 October, 2012, the Cardiology Service said goodbye to Paula.
Paula, who holds the record by far for length of service as a Cardiology Technician, first joined Cardiology in 1964.   Apart from the usual recording of ECGs and duties in the Cath Lab, Paula and was one of two technicians who participated in the early cardiac surgery programme.
Paula went off on OE in 1967, returning to the Cardiology Department in 1969.  She remained there until 1974 when she took time off to raise a family.

Paula returned to work part-time in 1987 and continued with Cardiology until her retirement.   This represents a total tenure as a Cardiology Technician of 33 years, a length of stay in Cardiology exceeded only by Peter Leslie!

Paula's greatest contribution to the Cardiology Service was in the field of pacemaker and defibrillator implantation and follow-up.   Her understanding of the complexities of newer devices and of the issues experienced by recipient patients was always impressive.  In this field Paula has been a great mentor to both technical and medical staff.

This is a very well-earned retirement and all associated with the Cardiology Service wish Paula well.

A truly long service!