Continuing Education for the Radiologic Technologist

CHAPTER 25


Continuing Education for the Radiologic Technologist





Objectives


On completion of this chapter, you should be able to:


• Understand the required number of credits needed to renew registration with the American Registry of Radiologic Technology.


• Document proof of participation in obtaining continuing education credits.


• Identify alternative means of meeting continuing education requirements.


• Understand the implications of noncompliance with continuing education requirements.


• Identify continuing education opportunities recognized by the American Registry of Radiologic Technology, as well as alternatives.


• Recognize cost-effective means of obtaining continuing education credits.


• Select the most productive way of obtaining continuing education credits.



Key terms



Most graduate technologists soon realize that, although they have ended their formal education, they are at the beginning of what will prove to be a lifetime of learning.


Education presents itself in many forms. Day-to-day living provides many learning experiences that cause us to grow. Even when functioning within the specifics of a job description, we are exposed to new experiences and questions to which our education has not provided answers. A formal educational program cannot possibly answer all questions or incorporate all potential experiences.


Understanding the ever-changing needs of radiologic technologists, the profession has established mandatory continuing education requirements to:




National certification examination and registration


After completion of an educational program in one of the primary disciplines in the radiologic sciences (radiography, radiation therapy, nuclear medicine, sonography, magnetic resonance or medical dosimetry), the graduate will take a national certification examination given by one of the following certification agencies:



NOTE: The information provided in this chapter is current as of the date of publication; however, the certification agencies are consistently refining and updating these requirements. The student should visit websites (www.arrt.org, www.nmtcb.org, www.ardms.org, or www.mdcb.org) as appropriate and access the most current requirements at the time of program graduation.


For purposes of this discussion, the requirements of the ARRT will be used. Additional details may be found in the ARRT Continuing Education Requirements for Renewal of Registration.


By passing the ARRT examination, the graduate is considered certified and may use RT(R) for radiographer, RT(N) for nuclear medicine technologist, or RT(T) for radiation therapist as professional credentials after their name. The technologist is also placed on the registry or listing of registered technologists. From this listing, potential and current employers may determine whether a technologist is current with the national certification agency and compliant with mandatory continuing education requirements.


Although, registered technologists must renew their ARRT registration annually, mandatory continuing education requirements and documentation that the required credits have been obtained, are required on a biennial (2-year) basis.



Requirements


The newly (ARRT) registered technologist will have to begin accumulating credits on the first day of his or her next birth month after becoming certified. An example might be, a technologist certified in March of 2013, with a birth date of September 20, will need to begin acquiring continuing education credits on September 1, 2013. This date will be the starting date of the technologist’s first biennium. He or she may continue to accumulate the 24 required credits from September 1 through August 31, 2015, when all required credits must be completed.


A continuing education (CE) credit is a unit of measurement for CE activities. Each credit is based on a 50- to 60-minute contact hour. Activities longer than one hour are based on a 60-minute credit, with 1/2 credit awarded for an additional 30 to 49 minutes. Any activity under 30 minutes is not eligible to receive credit.


Obtaining the required number of CE credits necessary to renew registration with the ARRT is easy if the following factors are remembered:



1. Attending, obtaining, and maintaining documentation of attendance and participation for each CE activity is solely the technologist’s/ the registrant’s responsibility. This responsibility may not be delegated to anyone or any institution or organization.


2. Twenty-four credits are required during each 24-month biennium.


3. All 24 CE credits must be identified as category A or category A+. These activities have received approval before the activity attendance by a recognized continuing education evaluation mechanism (RCEEM) or a RCEEM+ (a RCEEM with authorization to approve CE at the radiologist extender level).


4. Credits must be educational activities relevant to the radiologic sciences or patient care.


5. The same CE activity may not be used more than once in a biennium, and CE credits for such activities as directed readings, home study courses, or Internet activities may only be used once and never repeated.



Meeting the Requirements


As previously noted, the registered technologist must acquire 24 CE credits within his or her 24-month biennium. Each CE activity must meet the ARRT’s definition; that is, it must be planned, organized, and administered to enhance the knowledge and skills underlying the professional performance that a technologist uses to provide services to patients, the public, or the medical profession. The most typical are:


Tags:
Mar 2, 2016 | Posted by in GENERAL RADIOLOGY | Comments Off on Continuing Education for the Radiologic Technologist

Full access? Get Clinical Tree
Get Clinical Tree app for offline access