Introduction

Many excellent books, texts, and papers concerning the fields of neurology, neurophysiology, neuroanatomy, electromyography, and nerve conduction studies have been published for interested persons. The numerous published materials encompass a variety of aspects targeted at educating a variety of audiences. Most currently available materials are typically written at a reading level designed for physicians and personnel with substantial medical backgrounds. Written materials that a physician may find interesting and informative would very likely confuse a layman. Conversely, entry-level materials written specifically for the layman wanting to enter a related career field would likely not be very informative to or interest a physician. Technologists entering the field of electrodiagnostic medicine have an arduous task in gleaning from physician’s textbooks pertinent information that is directly applicable to the technologist’s job.

Historically, the training provided to Electrodiagnostic Technologists (EDTs) has consisted of unstructured, informal on-the-job training (OJT), that is, the senior lab technologists trained new technologists by “showing them the ropes” to the extent of his or her expertise. While some senior technologists may inherently exhibit the instructional skills, communication skills, and motivation required to effectively train personnel, one may assume that many of the technologists thrust into a training capacity by default do not. Technologists have forged through complex medical texts and myriads of extraneous material written at the physician’s level to obtain knowledge directly applicable to the technologist’s tasks performed in the laboratory. Many Electrodiagnostic Technologists have attended workshops presented by instructors who may be very knowledgeable of the subject matter, but who have had little or no formal training in adult learning theory, instructional systems design, or training methodology and techniques. Obviously, some technologists have obtained better training than others.

Scope

The authors have identified the growing need for formal, criterion-referenced, performance-based training programs that are directly applicable to the specific target audience. This training manual is written specifically for the Electrodiagnostic Technologist, at a target-audience level that attempts to convey in the most simplified manner possible, necessary information related to the safe and proficient performance of nerve conduction studies without compromising the integrity of the standards accepted by and practiced in today’s Electrodiagnostic labs.

This self-study manual has been developed using a modified version of the Systematic Approach to Training and is based upon an ordered and logical curriculum that includes fundamental knowledge necessary to fully understand the basics needed to build to the higher cognitive levels, leading, ultimately, to a solid knowledge base on which the technologist can begin developing and enhancing practical skills. This manual encompasses knowledge items derived from a thorough analysis of tasks performed by the Electrodiagnostic Technologist. Only those tasks that have been determined to require formal training have been considered in the development of this manual.

The simple tasks, that is, those tasks that are frequently performed, are not very significant, have a low probability of error, and can be easily trained through informal OJT, are not included in this manual.

As stated, this manual contains only knowledge items that are directly applicable to the performance of Electrodiagnostic Technologist tasks; therefore, it provides only one phase of the training necessary to produce a knowledgeable, safe, and proficient technologist. Written materials, including this manual, can not provide for the training of the skills necessary to perform the tasks. The necessary skills must be trained on-the-job, that is, through guided, hands-on practice of the tasks.

The authors strongly recommend that a formal, structured OJT program be implemented to develop the skills required to perform Electrodiagnostic Technologist tasks. Only a thorough understanding or knowledge of relevant subject matter and thoroughly practiced skills enable a technologist to safely and proficiently perform job tasks. The authors stress that the scope of this manual is to provide only the knowledge base necessary for the technologist to enter into an on-the-job training program that is designed to enhance skills through guided, hands-on practice.