Follow Your Pathway to SONOGRAPHY CERTIFICATION

Transcription

1 Follow Your Pathway to SONOGRAPHY CERTIFICATION The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists Promoting High Standards of Patient Care by Recognizing Qualified Individuals in Medical Imaging, Interventional Procedures, and Radiation Therapy Additional detail and references are available on the Certification and Examination sections of or by phoning (651) , ext.8560.

2 FOLLOW YOUR PATHWAY to ARRT CERTIFICATION in SONOGRAPHY Recognized by the Profession... 3 National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) Joint Review Committee for Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRC-DMS) American College of Radiology (ACR) Built on ARRT Equation for Excellence... 4 Education: Formal educational program, clinical experience, RDMS Ethics: Standards of Ethics protect the patient and the profession Examination: Sonography exam is comprehensive in content Primary Pathway... 6 Completing approved educational program Following nationally approved curriculum Demonstrating clinical competence Post-Primary Pathway... 6 Meeting clinical experience requirements or Holding RDMS Application Procedures... 7 Handbooks online and in print; applications on paper Beyond Earning Certification... 8 Annual renewal of registration; biennial CE requirements Copyright 2008 by The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is not permitted for any purpose without the written consent of the ARRT.

3 ARRT S SONOGRAPHY CREDENTIAL: RECOGNIZED BY THE PROFESSION Don t just take ARRT s word for it. Several recognized authorities in the credentialing community and in the sonography profession agree. We re always happy to toot our own horns, but it s nice when others will do it for us, right? ARRT s Sonography certification program enjoys the stamps of approval from three important groups. It has earned accreditation by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), the accrediting body of the National Organization for Competency Assurance (NOCA). To receive NCCA accreditation, ARRT demonstrated that the program met strict standards in accordance with NOCA s mission to promote excellence in competency assurance for practitioners in all occupations and professions. Our Sonography certificate is also recognized by the Joint Review Committee for Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRC-DMS) for outcomes reporting and program director credentialing. And, sonographers holding the ARRT certificate meet the credential requirements of the American College of Radiology s (ACR) practice-accreditation program. Altogether, those endorsements add up to broad respect for ARRT s Sonography certificate.? For more detailed and updated information on ARRT s Sonography certification program, consult the Certification and Examination sections of or phone ARRT at (651) , ext

4 ALL PATHS TO CERTIFICATION BUILT ON ARRT EQUATION FOR EXCELLENCE Different approaches, but same emphasis on quality education, stringent ethics, and exacting exams. Regardless of the pathway an individual takes to ARRT certification, they must fulfill eligibility requirements in three important areas: Education + Ethics + Examination = ARRT s Equation for Excellence. Here s a brief overview of each of the equation s components. Education Education is a two-stage process for ARRT certification: first is the preparatory education candidates must complete prior to taking an exam; then, they need to satisfy ongoing continuing-education requirements to keep the credential in effect (see page 8 for more info). Educational requirements also differ depending on whether the individual is pursuing the primary or post-primary pathway to certification. Candidates on the primary pathway must complete an educational program accredited by an ARRT-accepted mechanism. You ll find more details in the page 6 section titled Primary Pathway. For the post-primary pathway, candidates must satisfy rigorous clinical experience requirements and/or hold a supporting category of certification. You ll find more information in the Post-Primary Pathway section on page 6 of this booklet. So, whether your pathway is formal education, demonstrating experience, or applying your RDMS credential, your ARRT Sonography certificate tells the world that you re prepared to provide quality patient care. 4

5 Ethics Regardless of which certification pathway candidates follow, ARRT requires that they be of good moral character and agree to comply with the Standards of Ethics. The standards impose both a general code of ethics and specific rules of ethics. The code presents a model of professional conduct to which individuals may aspire. The rules, on the other hand, are very specific in addressing the reporting and repercussions of any candidate engaging in fraud, deceit, falsification and misrepresentation; conviction of a crime; and failure to practice and communicate with reasonable skill and safety. ARRT is rigorous and systematic in reviewing violations and imposing sanctions up to both ineligibility for and revocation of certification. In that way, ARRT promotes quality patient care and supports the professionalism of our certificate holders. Examination As is the case with the Ethics component of the Equation for Excellence, the Examination component doesn t differ depending on whether the individual is pursuing the primary or post-primary pathway to certification. The examination is the same either way. Your ARRT Sonography certificate is the only Sonography credential that is general in nature, as opposed to anatomy-specific. ARRT s Sonography exam covers the full range of procedures (abdomen/pelvis, superficial structures, gynecology, obstetrics, and interventional) as well as patient care and physical principles of ultrasound. Content is both job-relevant and consistent with the curricula covered by educational programs in general sonography. ARRT exams are built on sound psychometric principles and are updated regularly. Practice analysis, which identifies the tasks required in a given modality, defines the content. Exam questions are written by panels of consultants who are experts in the field. 5

6 PRIMARY PATHWAY The primary pathway to certification is distinguished by its requirement for formal sonogrpahy education. Candidates on the primary pathway to ARRT certification in Sonography meet their educational requirements by completing an educational program that is accredited by an ARRT-approved mechanism. For sonography, that could be the JRC-DMS (through CAAHEP) or divisions of the six regional accrediting agencies that evaluate degreegranting institutions. (ARRT also recognizes the Conjoint Accreditation Service of the Canadian Medical Association and the Australian Institute of Radiography.) Every candidate s application must include the program director s confirmation that the candidate has successfully completed all didactic and clinical competency requirements of the approved educational program, including all degree-related requirements if the program is accredited as degree-granting. POST-PRIMARY PATHWAY The post-primary pathway recognizes either clinical experience or RDMS certification in meeting the educational eligibility requirements. Within the post-primary pathway, candidates are subject to two educational eligibility requirements one requiring registration in a supporting discipline, the other for documentation of clinical experience requirements. Those who choose the post-primary pathway to ARRT certification must already hold a supporting-category registration in radiography, nuclear medicine technology, or radiation therapy or as a Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (RDMS) by ARDMS. 6

7 Candidates may demonstrate their clinical experience requirements in either of two ways: 1) by virtue of hold Sonographer (RDMS) from ARDMS; or 2) by documenting the A requirements for certification. For those selecting the second option, those clinical experience requirements include 29 mandatory procedures (21 of which must be demonstrated on patients) and 13 elective procedures, of which five must be demonstrated. The demonstration must be verified by a supervisor or supervising physician. The option that works best for you will work for ARRT and for our mutual mission of promoting high standards of patient care. APPLICATION PROCEDURES Primary-pathway candidates will find a handbook online; those on the post-primary pathway should obtain a hard copy of their handbook from ARRT. For candidates who have met the eligibility qualifications, the next step is to complete and submit the application form. Individuals on the primary pathway having completed a recognized educational program should click on the Sonography Primary link at / Certification / Handbooks. They print the application form at the back of the handbook, complete it, and mail it to ARRT along with the appropriate fee and documents. Post-primary pathway candidates may also view their handbook online (from a link at Certification / Handbooks), but the application form in the online version of the handbook is only a sample. In order to apply for certification, these candidates should contact ARRT to request a paper copy of the post-primary pathway handbook. They complete the enclosed application form and mail it to ARRT along with the appropriate fee and documents. 7

8 Information in the handbooks either online or paper copy walks candidates through the entire application process, from meeting eligibility requirements to earning the certificate and beyond. BEYOND EARNING CERTIFICATION Annual renewal of registration, biennial CE requirements are ongoing responsibilities of ARRT certification. Earning the certificate is one thing. Keeping it in effect is another requiring annual renewal of registration. ARRT alerts individuals when their registration requires renewal, which may be completed online or by mail. With each year s renewal of registration, the individual simultaneously renews the pledge to abide by the ARRT Standards of Ethics. Every other year s renewal of registration coincides with the individual s biennial reporting requirements under the Continuing Education Requirements for Renewal of Registration. If you are planning on earning an ARRT certificate on or after January 1, 2011, check out the CQ/2011 Ongoing Discussion link on the home page for more information on additional requirements for maintaining registration of those certificates. Any certification earned prior to January 1, 2011, will be exempt from ARRT s Continued Qualifications requirements, known as CQ/2011. Certificates issued on or after January 1, 2011, will be time-limited to 10 years, after which the individual holding the certificate will be required to document continued qualifications.?for more detailed and updated information on ARRT s Sonography certification program, consult the Certification and Examination sections of or phone ARRT at (651) , ext