Medical Equipment Repairers

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Duties

The following are typical tasks performed by those who fix medical equipment:

• Set up a medical facility.
• Parts and equipment must be tested and calibrated.
• Inspect and replace defective components.
• Preventive maintenance and servicing should be carried out.
• Make sure you keep track of any maintenance and repair work performed.
• Attend frequent training sessions and study technical documentation.
• Describe and show how to use medical equipment.
• In charge of medical equipment replacements

BMETs or biomedical equipment technicians (BMETs) fix a broad variety of electrical, electromechanical, and hydraulic equipment used in hospitals and health care providers' offices, as well as in research laboratories. Life-supporting equipment includes patient monitors, defibrillators, ventilators and anesthetic devices. There are a number of other things they may work on, such as x-ray machines, CAT scanners, and ultrasound machines. They also fix dental and ophthalmic clinics' medical equipment.

When a machine malfunctions or does not perform to its full capacity, technicians must first identify the underlying cause. They then alter the mechanical, electrical, or hydraulic elements or tweak the software to correct the problem.

A wide range of tools are used by medical equipment repairers. Screwdrivers and soldering irons are some of the most often used hand tools. Multimeters (electronic measuring devices that integrate numerous measurements) and computers are used by others. Specialized test-equipment software is used in a lot of the equipment they maintain and repair. This program is used to calibrate the equipment by repairmen.

In order to perform tests and diagnose patients, many physicians depend on complicated medical gadgets, and they must be certain that the findings are correct. X-ray machines and CAT scanners, for example, need periodic planned maintenance by medical equipment repairers to keep them in excellent operating condition. Electric hospital beds, for example, are a simple piece of technology that can be repaired by hospital staff as necessary.

Education

The level of experience and expertise of a worker may affect educational requirements for medical equipment repairers. Typically, an associate's degree in biomedical equipment technology or engineering is necessary. Simple items of equipment like hospital beds and electric wheelchairs can be repaired with up to a year of on-the-job training. Advanced medical gadgets like CAT scanners and defibrillators may require a bachelor's degree to repair.

Training

New hires are required to observe and assist senior repairers for three to six months. With experience, workers become more self-reliant, yet remain under the supervision of their supervisor.

To repair medical equipment, personnel must learn its particular. In some cases, a machine's technical specs and operation instructions are required. Medical equipment manufacturers may also teach their workers.

The medical equipment sector is always evolving, releasing new items. Repair professionals can keep up with the latest technology and equipment by attending seminars and self-studying. OEMs may also give product training.

Licenses and certifications

Even though it isn't needed, proving one's skill and professionalism can help one attract employers. Repairers may also benefit from it. Hospitals and other healthcare facilities frequently pay for their own medical repair personnel certification.

Several organizations offer medical equipment repairer certification. The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) offers certificates for Biomedical Equipment Technicians, Radiology Equipment Specialists, and Laboratory Equipment Specialists (CLES).

Important traits

Effective communication skills Customers, managers, and employees must be able to successfully communicate technical knowledge via telephone, written, and verbal means.

Dexterity. Many tasks need hand-eye coordination and a steady hand, such as joining or attaching components and using hand tools.

Mechanic skills. Repairers of medical equipment must grasp how various medical components and systems interact. To repair key portions, they must often be disassembled.

Body stamina. Kneeling, bending, and standing can be required to repair equipment. So personnel must be in good shape.

Expertise in a certain field. Technicians working on complex medical equipment must employ advanced diagnostic tools. They must know both the internal components and the tools required to fix the machine.

Time management skills. Repairs to important medical equipment are time-sensitive, therefore workers must be efficient.

Troubleshooting skills Complications in medical technology make problems difficult to detect. Repairers must be able to find and remedy hidden flaws.

Pay

The median annual wage for medical equipment repairers was $60,670 in May 2023. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $36,810, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $97,780.

Job Projections

Employment of medical equipment repairers is projected to grow 18 percent from 2023 to 2033, much faster than the average for all occupations.