The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists

CHAPTER 20


The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists





Objectives


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


• Narrate the history of the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists.


• List the professions that the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists certifies.


• Describe the examination procedures.


• List the subject areas of the examination content.


• Explain how results are reported.


• Describe the rights and privileges of the registered technologist.



Key terms



Today, certification and registration with the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) is the internationally recognized standard of the profession. The ARRT is recognized by the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT), the American College of Radiology (ACR), and numerous other organizations as the gold standard for certification in medical imaging radiation therapy. The symbol “(ARRT)” has been registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office as the exclusive property of the ARRT, and it has become the passport to ethical employment in hospitals and clinics within English-speaking countries. Certification by the ARRT is accepted by all states with licensure laws for state licensing purposes.



History of the ARRT


In 1920, four members of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) presented a plan to their organization for the certification of operators of x-ray equipment. Working together with the American Roentgen Ray Society, these two organizations established operation of the ARRT in 1922. That year, 89 certifications were given, the first of which was presented to Sister M. Beatrice Merrigan of Oklahoma City.


Also during this early period, the technicians (as technologists were then called) themselves formed the AART, which later became the American Society of X-Ray Technicians (ASXT). In April of 1926, the organization voted to accept only registered technicians as members. In 1936, a joint sponsorship between the RSNA and the ASXT was established, with the ARRT incorporated as a separate body. Sponsorship again changed in 1943, when the RSNA transferred its co-sponsorship to the ACR. The ASXT continued as the other sponsor of the ARRT. At approximately the same time, the Council on Medical Education and Hospitals of the American Medical Association began to establish guidelines for x-ray courses; this effort helped to ensure quality education for students nationwide.


In 1960, work began on programs to educate and certify people in the specialties of radiation therapy and nuclear medicine technology. The first examinations for nuclear medicine were given in 1963, and the ones for radiation therapy were first given in 1964. Also in 1960, the ARRT moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota. In August of 1989, the ARRT moved into its new headquarters at 1255 Northland Drive in St. Paul, Minnesota.


As of publication, count of ARRT certificates in good standing is as follows:



This list makes for a total of 437,710 certificates held by 300,037 certified professionals who are qualified to work in these fields.


Persons certified by the ARRT can look back on a gratifying process of growth and acceptance: growth in professional competence and acceptance by medical, civil, and governmental organizations as the single authoritative source of qualified personnel in the disciplines that the ARRT serves. The ARRT has indeed come a long way from the first Board of Registry, in which the board members personally administered their 20-question certification examination, to the present ARRT. Today’s ARRT includes governance by a board of trustees; a full-time salaried staff; modern facilities with computerized records; criterion-referenced certification examinations in radiography, nuclear medicine technology, and radiation therapy; and advanced level examinations in cardiac interventional technology (CI), vascular interventional technology (VI), mammography (M), computed tomography (CT), quality management (QM), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), bone densitometry (BD), sonography (S), vascular sonography (VS), breast sonography (BS), and the honest examination for radiologist assistants.



Organization


The ARRT is governed by a board of trustees that is composed of nine members. Five trustees are registered radiologic technologists appointed by the ASRT, and four are physicians appointed by the ACR. Trustees are appointed to serve 4-year terms. Each year, the board of directors of the ASRT and the board of chancellors of the ACR each appoint one new member to the board of trustees. Meetings of the board are held semiannually, although additional meetings can be held if circumstances require. Trustees serve without compensation, but meeting expenses are reimbursed. The board is served by a full-time salaried staff of 60 employees, who conduct the routine business of the board at the ARRT’s office in St. Paul, Minnesota. The board is also served by consultants in all disciplines to which the ARRT administers examinations. These consultants provide subject expertise for the development of test questions and examinations.


The ARRT Certification Handbook is furnished to all applicants for certification and registration. The semiannual ARRT Educator Update is mailed to accredited educational programs and related organizations in radiologic technology. The ARRT Directory, which lists registered technologists, is available online at the ARRT’s website (www.arrt.org). The Annual Report to Registered Technologists is mailed each spring to all radiologic technologists.



Examination procedures




Educational Requirements


Candidates must have successfully completed a program of formal education that is accredited by a mechanism acceptable to the ARRT.



Accepted accreditation mechanisms in the United States are the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT), the Joint Review Committee on Education in Nuclear Medicine Technology (JRCNMT), the Joint Review Committee on Diagnostic Medical Sonography (JRCOMS), and the branches of the six regional accrediting organizations that accredit degree-granting institutions. Outside the United States, ARRT-accepted accreditation mechanisms include the Conjoint Secretariat of the Canadian Medical Association and the Australian Institute of Radiography.


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Mar 2, 2016 | Posted by in GENERAL RADIOLOGY | Comments Off on The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists

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