Volume 87 - Fall 2004	Download

Certification, Professional Competency, and Licensure A Conversation with Students by Karen Madsen Myers, MA, CLS(NCA), MT(ASCP)SC PARC Chair

Students always have questions about national certification exams. While most students have a concern about sitting for national certification, a discussion about certification offers an opportunity to address issues critical to professional development. We start this discussion by providing answers to a set of "Frequently Asked Questions" that we give to our students early in the curriculum. As educators we build experiences into the curriculum that support our words. We are always revising our FAQ sheet. We would be interested in what other programs are doing to engage their students in professional issues.

To: Students in Professional Medical Laboratory Curricula
From: Program Faculty

Because you will be graduating from a professional curriculum, it is time to think about examination for national certification and other issues regarding professional development. While your graduation from this program is not contingent upon sitting for or passing a national certification examination, there are many reasons you should sit for certification through examination. Over the years we have had lively discussions with those who have graduated before you- discussions regarding certification, professional involvement, and the role of continuing education in professional development. We hope the answers to questions other students have frequently asked will guide you as you make your own decisions about your professional career pathway.

What is national certification and why is it important?
Certification is the mechanism by which a non-governmental agency or association grants recognition of competence to an individual who has met certain predetermined qualifications. ¹ As a graduate of a NAACLS approved program you are eligible, depending upon your curriculum category, to voluntarily sit for national certification exams offered by the American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP) and the National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel (NCA). Initially this is important because the recognition that comes from passing a national certifying examination communicates your entry-level qualifications to a prospective employer. The exams are based on practice standards in the field and consist of a multiple choice computerized format covering all areas of the professional curriculum.

ASCP Board of Registry (BOR) offers certification examination for students graduating from NAACLS approved programs for the Histotechnician (HT) and Histotechnologist (HLT), the Cytotechnologist (CT), the Medical Technologist (MT), the Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT), the Technologist in Molecular Pathology (MP), the Phlebotomy Technician (PBT), as well as a variety of categorical certifications at the BS level. Jerry Phipps, BS, BHS, Representative to the NAACLS Affiliated Professions Review Committee (APRC) from the American Association of Pathologists’ Assistants (AAPA) recently announced that ASCP BOR and AAPA had signed a formal agreement to initiate a program for the certification of Pathologist’s Assistants starting in Fall 2005. NCA provides entry-level certification opportunities for the clinical laboratory scientist (CLS), the Clinical Laboratory Technician (CLT), the Clinical Laboratory Specialist in Cytogenetics (CLSpCG), the Certified Laboratory Specialist in Molecular Biology (CLSpMB), the Clinical Laboratory Phlebotomist (CLPlb), and a variety of categorical certifications at the BS level.

Why is certification important?
Certification in the field of medical laboratory professions is a voluntary process for individuals who meet minimum educational and skills requirements. For individuals enrolled in qualified professional curricula, the educational and skills requirements are built into the curriculum structure. While as a new graduate, you are especially interested in employment entry into your field of practice, there are reasons for becoming certified other than meeting the employment requirements you see in newspaper and journal employment ads. Certification provides a measurement for the standard of practice (the knowledge and skills) desirable for medical laboratory personnel.² Displaying your certification achievement as part of your professional title is a way of recognizing your accomplishment and stating to peers and the public that you are competent to practice in your field.

If more than one examination is available for my professional category, which exam should I take?
We believe that you need to make your own informed decision regarding certification. You can start by reviewing the web sites of the certifying organizations. To obtain information about the ASCP, go to www.ascp.org. The NCA website can be accessed at www.nca-info.org. There are historical and philosophical foundations that underlay the establishment of each of the certifying bodies. We recommend that you talk with both academic faculty and practitioners who instruct you during the clinical phase of your education, as well as laboratory managers you meet during your curriculum, about these foundations and how they have supported career development. Also, attend meetings of your local professional society and ask questions about certification.

ASCP certification was first offered in 1928. The ASCP BOR Board of Governors oversees the examination process in conjunction with input from participating societies in a variety of disciplines. The composition of the Board of Governors can be accessed on the ASCP website.³ After January 2004, any examinee in entry-level categories is required to participate in a ‘Certification Maintenance Program’ (CMP) to maintain certification status. This new program requires that professionals demonstrate continued practice competency every three years through participation in a variety of educational activities.

Clinical laboratory scientists were first certified by NCA in 1977. NCA is endorsed by the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (ASCLS) and the Association of Genetic Technologists (AGT). NCA was established with the philosophy that certification should not be automatic and continuing over the span of a professional career without demonstration of ongoing professional competency. NCA recertifies practitioners every three years either through documentation of continuing education activities or through re-examination.

How do I become certified, and when do I make application?
The procedures for application are available online. We will be giving you school-specific information to assist you with the application process at a time appropriate for you to apply. In the meantime, visit the websites of NCA and ASCP to look at application information and to obtain the current fee structure for the examinations.

Because the time frame in which ASCP and NCA allow applicants to apply for examination has recently become more flexible, it is easy to put off applying for certification exams. Don’t delay taking your exams. Your entry-level theoretical knowledge is most accessible when you first graduate. As soon as you begin practice, most of you will begin to specialize in one way or another. New knowledge and skills will come to the fore as you specialize in ways that move you beyond entry-level. The content specific knowledge of your professional curriculum, while never lost, will take more effort to reactivate as you begin learning more specialized skills and knowledge.

At the October 2004 NAACLS Board of Director’s meeting, both Kathy Doig, PhD, CLS, of the NCA, and Patricia Ellinger, MSEd, MT(ASCP)SBB, of the ASCP BOR, presented statistics that verify that graduates of NAACLS approved programs perform significantly better than individuals who have not graduated from such programs. Use that advantage wisely by sitting for certification immediately upon graduation.

Why am I required to periodically update through continuing education to maintain my certification?
The emphasis for medical personnel is now on maintaining continuing competence. Maintaining your certification through your involvement in professional activities and continuing education is a professional requirement. Professionals voluntarily update their skills and knowledge as required by their practice. Because we specialize, because the technology, the knowledge and the skills in our field are always changing, we must maintain competency in our practice through life-long learning.

Both the NCA and the ASCP require that certified individuals demonstrate on-going competency through the learning activities that are part of practice. The re-certification process of NCA and the certification maintenance program of ASCP (accessible at the organizations’ websites) provide a variety of mechanisms by which on-going competency can be demonstrated. Documentation of professional competency is a formal process that requires application every three years.

Does enrolling in continuing education require that I join a professional organization?
One way to obtain continuing education credit and meet the requirements for competency documentation is through professional organizations. Professional organizations support your career development in ways other than providing continuing education opportunities. They provide networking experience and job contacts, opportunities for mentoring, information on legislative issues, technical and professional experiences that support your career, and a variety of opportunities to volunteer in ways that will enrich your career path. The ASCP offers free associate student membership at: www.ascp.org/member/info/student_associate.asp. The ASCLS offers student membership for a minimal fee at: www.ascp.org/member/info/student_associate.asp. Other professional organizations that are sponsors of NCA and ASCP BOR also offer student membership rates (these can be accessed from the websites ^2,3).

What about licensure; is that something I need to be concerned about?
There is great national interest in licensure for laboratory practitioners. Licensure in the professions is one way to protect the quality of services provided to patients by a profession. Through licensure, minimum standards or education and ongoing competency can be assured. Eleven states currently have laboratory personnel licensure (California, Hawaii, Florida, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Louisiana, Nevada, West Virginia, Montana, Georgia). Puerto Rico also has licensure.⁴ The ASCLS is updating its model licensure bill for use by states in creating their own bill as well as adopting a formal position paper on personnel licensure.⁵ The ASCP associate member division recently sent an email survey to gather data on support of members for licensure.

As a student in a professional program, you may want to consider the licensure requirements required by each state. If you will be moving into a state that requires licensure, you will need to determine the licensure requirements of that state and whether a separate licensure examination is required or whether your national certification examinations will be recognized. Your faculty can help you further with these questions.

Closing Comments
We provide opportunities in the curriculum to discuss certification and licensure and to become familiar with professional societies and the continuing education opportunities they provide. We hope you will explore the resources we have given you in our FAQs. It will provide you with background for a lively discussion later in the curriculum.

References
1. ACSP Board of Registry Procedures for
Examination and Certification. American
Society for Clinical Pathology. 2004: p 1.
2. About NCA. NationalCredentialing
Agency forLaboratory Personnel. Available at:
www.nca-info.org/aboutnca.asp. Accessed October 6,
2004.
3. About the Board of Registry. American
Society of Clinical Pathology. Available at:
www.ascp.org/bor/about/. Accessed
October 6, 2004.
4. Personnel Licensure. American Society for
Clinical Laboratory Science. Available at:
www.ascls.org/jobs/grads
personnel_licensure.asp. Accessed October 6, 2004.
5. Morris, Susan. President’s Message.
ASCLS Today. 18(8):p2.

Top of the News
			CEO's Corner NAACLS Continues its Leadership Role by Olive M. Kimball, PhD, EdD Chief Executive Officer
			Introducing Karen McClure New CLSPRC Member
			President’s Report Our Choice: To Lead or be Pushed by David D. Gale, PhD President, Board of Directors
Features
			Certification, Professional Competency, and Licensure A Conversation with Students by Karen Madsen Myers, MA, CLS(NCA), MT(ASCP)SC PARC Chair
			CLSPRC Update by Claudia Miller, PhD, MT(ASCP), CLS(NCA) Chairman, CLSPRC
			Lifetime Achievement Award Presented to Norton German, MD
			Mission, Goals, Competencies, Objectives What is the Difference? by Marcia Armstrong MS, CLS(NCA), MT(ASCP), and Suzanne Campbell, MS, MT(ASCP) NAACLS Programs Approval Review Committee
Other News
			An Invitation to Nominate
			Announcing Newly Accredited and Approved Programs Approved at the April 2004 Board Meeting
			Association Honors NAACLS Chief Executive Officer
			Board of Directors Update From the October 2, 2004 Meeting
			NAACLS Survey of Program Directors 2004 by Elizabeth Everson Computer Information Services/Program Coordinator
			Professional Certification for Pathologists' Assistants Now Available
			Sincere Thanks
			Upcoming Site Visits

	Select an Issue   Vol 109 - Fall 2011 Vol 108 - Summer 2011 Vol 107 - Spring 2011 Vol 106 - Volume 106 - Fall NAACLS News Vol 105 - Summer 2010 Vol 104 - Spring 2010 NAACLS News Vol 103 - Fall 2009 NAACLS News Vol 102 - Summer 2009 Vol 101 - Spring 2009 Vol 100 - Winter 2008 Vol 99 - Summer 2008 Vol 98 - Spring 2008 Vol 97 - Winter 2007 Vol 96 - Summer 2007 Vol 95 - Spring 2007 Vol 94 - Winter 2006 Vol 93 - Spring/Summer 2006 Vol 92 - Special Edition Vol 91 - Winter 2005 Vol 90 - Fall 2005 Vol 89 - Spring/Summer 2005 Vol 87 - Fall 2004 Vol 86 - Spring/Summer 2004 Vol 85 - Fall 2003 Vol 84 - Spring/Summer 2003 Vol 83 - Winter 2003 Vol 82 - Fall 2002 Vol 81 - Spring / Summer 2002 Vol 80 - Winter 2002 Vol 79 - Fall 2001 Vol 78 - Spring / Summer 2001 Vol 77 - Winter 2001 Vol 76 - Fall 2000 Vol 75 - Spring / Summer 2000 Vol 74 - Winter 2000 Vol 73 - Fall 1999 Vol 72 - Spring / Summer 1999 Vol 71 - Winter 1999 Vol 70 - Fall 1998 Vol 69 - Spring / Summer 1998 Vol 68 - Winter 1998 Vol 67 - Fall 1997 Vol 66 - Spring 1997 Vol 65 - Winter 1996 Vol 64 - Summer 1996 Vol 63 - Spring 1996 Vol 62 - Winter 1996 Vol 61 - Summer 1995 Vol 60 - Spring 1995 Vol 59 - Fall 1994 Vol 58 - Summer 1994 Vol 57 - Spring 1994 Vol 56 - Fall 1993 Vol 55 - Summer 1993 Vol 54 - Spring 1993 Vol 53 - Fall 1992 Vol 52 - Summer 1992 Vol 51 - Spring 1992 Vol 50 - Fall 1991 Vol 49 - Summer 1991 Vol 48 - Spring 1991 Vol 47 - Fall 1990 Vol 46 - Summer 1990 Vol 45 - Spring 1990 Vol 44 - Fall 1989 Vol 43 - Summer 1989 Vol 42 - Winter 1989 Vol 41 - Fall 1988 Vol 40 - April 1988 Vol 39 - December 1987 Vol 38 - September 1987 Vol 37 - Spring 1987 Vol 36 - Winter 1987 Vol 35 - October 1986 Vol 34 - November 1985 Vol 33 - November 1984 Vol 32 - July 1984 Vol 31 - November 1983 Vol 30 - November 1982 Vol 29 - November 1981 Vol 28 - December 1980 Vol 27 - August 1980 Vol 26 - September 1979 Vol 25 - August 1979 Vol 24 - June 1979 Vol 23 - February 1979 Vol 22 - October 1978 Vol 21 - July 1978 Vol 20 - April 1978 Vol 19 - October 1977 Vol 18 - July 1977 Vol 17 - April 1977 Vol 16 - February 1977 Vol 15 - November 1976 Vol 14 - September 1976 Vol 13 - June 1976 Vol 12 - December 1975 Vol 11 - October 1975 Vol 10 - August 1975 Vol 9 - July 1975 Vol 8 - June 1975 Vol 7 - April 1975 Vol 6 - February 1975 Vol 5 - December 1974 Vol 4 - November 1974 Vol 3 - September 1974 Vol 2 - August 1974 Vol 1 - June 1974