The CST® Self-Assessment Examination is composed of 250 actual questions retired from the
CST® test pool of questions and is parallel in form
to the actual CST® national exam. It is based on
the current CST® exam outline and contains identical percentages of questions in each section as the
actual exam. The SAE provides individuals with
strength and weakness feedback on specific skills
and knowledge sets needed, to successfully undertake the CST® national exam.
The SAE is available to individuals for $45
(including shipping, score reports, and 8 continuing
education credits for currently certified individuals)
and to classes for a reduced administration rate. To
order your copy of the CST® SAE phone (913) 5410400.
Newsletter
Term ending 2003
Term ending 2004
President
[email protected]
[email protected]
Linda Glawe CST
Term ending 2004
Barbara Okamoto MD, FACS
Term ending 2005
[email protected]
Vice President
[email protected]
Douglas Rued
Term ending 2005
Donovan Traverse CST
[email protected]
Term ending 2003
Sue Stanley CST
Secretary/Treasurer
[email protected]
Term ending 2004
[email protected]
Corey Hinton CST/CFA
Term ending 2005
Mary Sutton CST/CFA
[email protected]
Term ending 2003
[email protected]
Staff
Liaison Council on Certification for the Surgical Technologist
Dawn Vinson,
MS
Maria Hill
Executive Director
[email protected]
Certification Renewal Specialist
[email protected]
Donnette Haug
Elina Kurys
Certification Coordinator
[email protected]
Certification Exam Specialist
[email protected]
Makeba Dart
Customer Service Representative
[email protected]
Contact
Us
Liaison Council on Certification for the Surgical Technologist
You may e-mail your comments and requests to the LCC-ST
office at: [email protected] or call us at 800.707-0057
LCC-ST®, CST®, and CST/CFA® are federally
registered trademarks by the Liaison Council
on Certification for the Surgical Technologist
Rate Change in Effect for Renewal
Effective January 1, 2003 the fee for certification renewal will increase from the
current $35 to a fee of $45 for both certification levels. The $45 renewal fee will be
reflected on 2003 CST and CFA renewal forms available this fall. The new fee includes
the cost of processing the renewal and reviewing credits. Continuing education credits
will no longer need to be submitted for processing separately before submitting a renewal application.
Summer 2002
Timing also factors in to a higher pass rate.
Data indicates that candidates that undertook the
CST® exam within 90 days of completing the SelfAssessment Exam fared better than students who
waited 6 months or more after completing the SAE
to take the CST® exam.
Janet Nugent
Brue Chandler MHA, FACHE
E: [email protected]
A study conducted by the LCC-ST over three
years has concluded that the self-assessment exam
(SAE) clearly benefits the majority of candidates
who take the national certification exam for surgical technologists. The LCC-ST reviewed a total of
2,163 students completing the Self-Assessment
Exam at least once prior to undertaking the CST®
exam. A total of 84% of the students who completed the SAE were successful on the certification
exam, compared to a pass rate of 78% for all candidates attempting the exam.
Board
of Directors
Liaison Council on Certification for the Surgical Technologist
128 South Tejon Street : Suite 301
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
P: 800.707.0057
F: 719.328.0801
W: www.lcc-st.org
SAE Increases Students Probability of
Passing National Certification Exam
Certification Cycle Decrease to Take Effect in 2003
The LCC-ST is announcing the decision by the Board of
Directors to decrease the certification period from the current
six-year cycle to a renewal cycle of four years for both CST and
CFA certification. The shorter recertification cycle will go into
effect for CST and CFA candidates that gain certification, or
renew their current certification, in 2003. The change in certification cycle only effects new issues; individuals with current certifications expiring through 2008 remain valid.
With the decrease in the re-certification period, the number
of continuing education units required for renewal has also
decreased proportionally. Certifications issued in 2003 will
require renewal in 2007 with the fewer credits needed to be
earned total. The credits earned per year of the cycle will
remain the same. The required c.e. credits will decrease from
the current 80 to 60 total credits for CSTs and from the current
100 to 75 for CST/CFAs for the four year cycle. Required experience for first assistants renewing will decrease proportionately.
To be consistent with the guidelines previously set, the maximum credits in Category 2 is set at eight (8) for both credentials. CSTs may distribute their remaining 52 or more credits
between categories 1 and 3. CST/CFAs must achieve 35 credits in
Category 3, with the remaining credits in Category 1 or 2 (max 8
in cat 2). The new change in cycle and required credits only
applies to certifications issued in 2003 or later.
LCC-ST Representative Addresses State Legislatures
Twice this year, the LCC-ST has sent a
representative to speak in front of state
legislative and licensure bodies on behalf
of certified surgical technologists and certified first assistants. January 29th, 2002
the LCC-ST executive director, Dawn
Vinson, accompanied by Ben Price,
Government Affairs Director for the
Association of Surgical Technologists,
addressed the Texas Surgical Assistant’s
Advisory Committee in Austin, Texas. Ms.
Vinson responded to an invitation by the
Texas State Board of Medical Examiners
(TSBME) to answer questions regarding
the national certifying exam for first
assistants. Ms. Vinson spoke on behalf to
the LCC-ST, supported by AST, to encourage the TSBME to accept the national
certifying exam as a criteria for the new
Texas licensure for first assistants; paving
the way for CST/CFAs to achieve licensure
in Texas without retesting. More than
150 Texas residents holding the CST/CFA
title are eligible under Texas House Bill
1183.
The certification body joined the
membership association once again on
February 29th to support House Bill 2273
in Nashville, Tennessee. HB2273 would
create a licensure for surgical technologists in the state of Tennessee. The
Association of Surgical Technologists supports the legislation and is working
together with the Tennessee State
Assembly of Surgical Technologists
(TSAST) towards passage of the legislation. Donna Henderson, CST/CFA, sponsored by Representative Barbara Cooper
(D-Memphis), addressed the committee
on behalf of TSAST. Ms. Vinson, sponsored to speak by Representative Curry
Todd (R-Memphis) addressed the
Tennessee Government Operations
Committee. Both presenters supported
the bill and advocated for a provision
that would allow Certified Surgical
Technologists special inclusion for licensure – a grandfather clause. The legislation would impact the almost 850 CST
and CST/CFA currently employed in
Tennessee.
Moving?
Certified individuals who move should
provide LCC-ST with a change of address
notice to ensure you receive your renewal
notice without delay. If you have not
received a renewal notice and renewal
form 90 prior to your expiration date,
contact our offices for a renewal form, or
download a renewal form from our website at www.LCC-ST.org.
CST/CFA Grandfather
Period Open for
Texas License
The Texas State Board of Medical
Examiners voted to accept individuals holding the CST/CFA credentials
for the initial application period.
This means that current CST/CFAs
may be “grandfathered in” and
obtain the state licensure without
having to take an additional exam
for a limited period. The deadline
for applications under these special
eligibility rules will end September
1, 2002, so please be sure and
apply before then. Applications
may be obtained by contacting the
Texas State Board of Medical
Examiners at the TSBME Customer
Service Hotline (800) 248-4062
(Texas only) or downloaded
from their website at
www.tsbme.
state.tx.us/professionals/surgasst/
suglic.htm
2001 Renewal Rates Highest in Ten Years
Renewal rates for Certified Surgical Technologists
reached the highest level in ten years. Of the 4,465 CST certified of recertified in 1995, more than 60% remain active in
the field and chose to renew their certification in 2001!
Palm Pilot Winners!
Continuing Education Audit System
to be Implemented in 2003
The LCC-ST will move to an audit system for individuals renewing their CST and CFA certifications in 2003. The new audit system
is designed to ensure the responsibility for primary verification of
continuing education credits is met by the LCC-ST. The new process
will involve a direct audit by staff of all applications submitted as
part of the renewal process. Audits will occur within the four
months of the renewal. Both CST and CST/CFA candidate renewal
applications will be subject to audit.
Individuals will no longer be required to submit continuing education credits for processing separate from the renewal process.
Only individuals randomly chosen for audit will be required to submit documentation of earned credits.
Members of AST are encouraged to avail themselves of the services offered by the membership organization. Keeping a copy of all
credits earned yearly with AST will allow quick retrieval of needed
documentation should you be chosen for audit.
Name Change?
Has your name changed since you received your certification?
Certifications can only be verified when the name AND social security number, or name AND certification number match our database.
If you would like your certification files listed under your new name,
all you need to do is send us a copy of your marriage certificate,
divorce decree (only the page showing the name change), or legal
documents granting a name change to our offices. There is no fee
to submit a name change request. If you would like a new certificate or card issued in the new name, you may complete a Request
for Replacement Card form and submit the required fee of ten dollars. You should notify the LCC-ST immediately of any name change
that occurs while you are applying to take the certification exam.
Persons reporting to test centers to take the national certification
exam MUST have identification that matches the name on
their application or they will be denied
access to the test.
We are pleased to announce the winners of the Palm
Pilot m100™ handheld organizers. All individuals who
participated in the job analysis survey this spring were
automatically entered into the drawing for a free
handheld organizer. We would like to thank the almost
one thousand CSTs and CFAs who participated in the
survey.
And congratulations to our two winners:
Elaine Stuart, CST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ledbetter, KY
Sherry Castleberry, CST/CFA . . . . . . Thomasville, GA
Thank you to all the technologists and first assistants
who donated their time and participated in the survey.
LCC-ST Increases Campaign
to Promote Certification to Employers
The LCC-ST will continue to promote the hiring of
certified surgical staff in the operating room in 2002.
As part of the LCC-ST’s response to certificants’
request for increased advocacy, we will continue to
market certification directly to employers. Look for
the LCC-ST booth this fall at the American College of
Surgeons conference in San Francisco, and again this
year at the OR Managers conferences in both Long
Beach and Baltimore. Ads encouraging employers to
hire Certified Surgical Technologists and Certified First
Assistants will begin appearing later this summer in
several trade journals. The new ads, targeting human
resources and OR supervisors will begin running in
three new journals: AORN Journal, SSM, and
OR Manager.
Survey Shows Majority of Surgical Technologists and First Assistants
Compensated for Certification
The results of the 2002 job
analysis show more employers
nationally are rewarding staff for
attaining certification. Survey
results show that the majority of
CSTs and almost half of all
CST/CFAs nationwide are compen-
sated for achieving Certification.
Certified Surgical Technologists
responding to the job analysis survey reported the highest rate of
compensation for certification.
48% of Certified First Assistants
answered YES to the question “Are
you compensated by your employer for being certified as a CFA?”
When the question was posed to
Certified Surgical Technologists,
54% of the CSTs answered YES to
receiving compensation for being
certified.