and practice recalling it. Your most practical course of action is to put all of your effort into passing the first time. If you don’t, re-evaluate and try again. If You Don’t Succeed If you take the CST exam at a testing center, you will know in minutes whether you passed. If you take the exam on campus, your program director will let you know your results. If you do not pass, reapply on the NBSTSA’s website to retake the exam. On the application, check the box that says “retake.” Make sure the name you use on the application match- es the name on two forms of your identification—you’ll need to take ID with you to the testing center. Care- fully read and follow the application instructions. You have to pay the testing fee ($190 for AST members, $290 for nonmembers) when you reapply. Submit your application as soon as possible—process- ing will take 4-6 weeks. You must wait to retake the exam until you receive the letter from the NBSTSA with your authorization number and instructions for scheduling. Use this time to continue to study so you don’t get out of the habit. Try Again Once you receive your letter, you can call or visit the Applied Measurement Professionals (AMP) website to schedule a time to retake the exam. If you call, make a note of the time you are given to report to the testing A Complimentary Quarterly Publication from AST for Students of Surgical Technology ASTSA STUDENT ASSOCIATION Association of Surgical Technologists No one wants to think about failing the national surgical technology certifying exam, but it happens. You or a family member get sick. You study one area too much and another not enough. You simply panic. The reason doesn’t matter. Lessen your anxiety before the exam and the fear after the exam by knowing what to do next. Certification Statistics The CST exam is given two ways: at a national testing center or on campus using a web-based exam. According to NBSTSA statistics for 2016, 69.8 percent of people who tested at a center and 76.9 percent of people who tested on campus passed the exam. Those are pretty good odds. Don’t Lose Your Head As a surgical technologist, you’ll often be dealing with life or death scenarios. The CST exam is NOT one of those. Keep the test in perspective. An exam is not a predictor of future success in your career, your earning potential or your leadership ability. It’s an assessment of your knowledge or ability on a certain date. Did you know that John F. Kennedy, Jr. failed the New York bar exam twice before finally passing it? Don’t let your thoughts spiral out of control by dwell- ing on past failures, time lost or money spent. Banish any “I’ll never” thoughts from your head. Each day is a new opportunity. Study hard. Learn the material N E W S ASTSA Fall 2016 Volume 23 Number 2 Congratulations to five schools who earned prizes for their photo contest entries. Why be certified? Hear from your peers about the importance of becoming a CST. INSIDE More on page 5 one Learn about NHS membership, the 2017 Student Forum and the conference T-shirt contest. WHAT IF I FLUNK THE CERTIFICATION EXAM?
Transcript
and practice recalling it. Your most practical course of action is to put all of your effort into passing the first time. If you don’t, re-evaluate and try again.If You Don’t SucceedIf you take the CST exam at a testing center, you will know in minutes whether you passed. If you take the exam on campus, your program director will let you know your results. If you do not pass, reapply on the NBSTSA’s website to retake the exam. On the application, check the box that says “retake.” Make sure the name you use on the application match-es the name on two forms of your identification—you’ll need to take ID with you to the testing center. Care-fully read and follow the application instructions. You have to pay the testing fee ($190 for AST members, $290 for nonmembers) when you reapply. Submit your application as soon as possible—process-ing will take 4-6 weeks. You must wait to retake the exam until you receive the letter from the NBSTSA with your authorization number and instructions for scheduling. Use this time to continue to study so you don’t get out of the habit. Try AgainOnce you receive your letter, you can call or visit the Applied Measurement Professionals (AMP) website to schedule a time to retake the exam. If you call, make a note of the time you are given to report to the testing
A Complimentary Quarterly Publication from AST for Students of Surgical Technology
ASTSA STUDENT ASSOCIATIONAssociation of Surgical Technologists
No one wants to think about failing the national surgical technology certifying exam, but it happens. You or a family member get sick. You study one area too much and another not enough. You simply panic. The reason doesn’ t matter. Lessen your anxiety before the exam and the fear after the exam by knowing what to do next.
Certification StatisticsThe CST exam is given two ways: at a national testing center or on campus using a web-based exam. According to NBSTSA statistics for 2016, 69.8 percent of people who tested at a center and 76.9 percent of people who tested on campus passed the exam. Those are pretty good odds. Don’t Lose Your HeadAs a surgical technologist, you’ll often be dealing with life or death scenarios. The CST exam is NOT one of those. Keep the test in perspective. An exam is not a predictor of future success in your career, your earning potential or your leadership ability. It’s an assessment of your knowledge or ability on a certain date. Did you know that John F. Kennedy, Jr. failed the New York bar exam twice before finally passing it? Don’t let your thoughts spiral out of control by dwell-ing on past failures, time lost or money spent. Banish any “I’ll never” thoughts from your head. Each day is a new opportunity. Study hard. Learn the material
N E W SASTSA
Fall 2016 Volume 23 Number 2
Congratulations to five schools who earned prizesfor their photo contest entries.
Why be certified? Hear from your peers about theimportance of becoming a CST.
INSID
E
More on page 5
one
Learn about NHS membership, the 2017 StudentForum and the conference T-shirt contest.
The Association of Surgical Technol-ogists (AST) and the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) support academ-ic student scholarships through the Foundation for Surgical Technology. The application deadline for those scholarships is coming up quickly. Get started on your application now.
Scholarship Deadline March 15
Are you Honor Society Material?
ASTSA Student Forum Friday June 9
Design your School's Conference T-Shirt
Have you dreamed of graduating with honors? As a member of AST’s Na-tional Honor Society (NHS), you will receive an honors cord to wear dur-ing your graduation ceremony, along with an Honor Society pin, certificate and membership card. To join the National Honor Soci-ety, you must be nominated by your instructor and meet the following criteria:• maintain a minimum cumulative
GPA of 3.75 (based on a 4.0 grading scale)
•� complete 85% of your graduation requirements at a CAAHEP-accred-ited surgical technology program
• achieve 95% or higher overall at-tendance record
• be a good school citizen with no past or present disciplinary actions against you
• project qualities of integrity and leadership, both in academic and extracurricular activities
•� become a member of the Associa-tion of Surgical Technologists (and maintain AST membership without a break or interruption)
Agenda7:15 AM ........Meet and Greet 8 AM .............AST Candidates’ Forum9:15 AM ........Welcome by AST, ASA, ARC/STSA and NBSTSA Board Members ASTSA Officer Introductions, Raffles, T-shirt Contest Results9:35 AM ........Professionalism and the ST Student10:40 AM ......ASTSA Student Representative Speeches11:45 AM ......Lunch (provided)12:25 PM ......Voting1:10 PM ........Certification Exam Q&A2:40 PM ........Voting Results3 PM .............Regular Conference Breakout Sessions
If your class plans to submit a design for this year’s T-shirt contest, you have until April 1 to get your designs ready. Here are a few reminders:• Your program name must be print-
ed on the right sleeve of the shirt so it can be hidden during voting.
• The design must be inoffensive and in good taste. The design must be completed by your surgical technol-ogy cohort without the help of a professional design artist.
• First, second and third place will be awarded based on a vote of the AST Board of Directors. Winners will be announced at the ASTSA Forum June 9 in New Orleans. Winning T-shirts will be signed by the AST board, framed and presented to the programs.
Visit the ASTSA Student Handbook for rules and instructions.
Don’t miss the Association of Surgical Technologists Student Association’s (ASTSA) Student Forum on Friday, June 9 during AST’s Surgical Technology Conference. Based on last year’s feedback, AST has shortened the schedule for the forum so you can attend the three conference breakout sessions at the end of the day.
If you are interested in getting leadership experience, getting to know AST staff and the AST board of directors, consider running as a student represen-tative. The ASTSA Student Handbook outlines the duties, eligibility require-ments, guidelines for running and forms for student representatives. If you have questions about the duties or requirements of student representatives, please contact Wanda Folsom.
Once you have been nominated and accepted, you must complete the membership form and return it with your $25 lifetime NHS membership fee. These must be received 15 days prior to graduation to make sure you’ll get your honors cord and pin in time for the ceremony. Questions? Visit our website or contact member services.
PrideCertification shows that you take pride in your profession and demonstrates to your employer that you meet the national standard for knowledge that underlies the practice of surgical technology. Certification “sets the standard of patient quality care. It holds each of us to that standard,” says Chi Purkey, CST, student representative and graduate from Tarrant County College River East Campus in Ft. Worth, Texas. “I feel like I am equipped with great skills, morals and values due to going through the certifica-tion program.”
Patient SafetyCertification proves that you have mas-tered skills related to surgical procedures, aseptic technique and patient care. And, the continuing education hours required to maintain your credential are proof that you stay current in the field. “As a certified surgical technologist, our learning doesn’t stop with a certifi-cate or diploma,” says Wanda Folsom, CST, AST’s manager of continuing education. “Technology and patient care are continually advancing and, as a commitment to our profession, we must validate these changes by investing time in continuing education and keeping our certification current. After all, patients would be poorly served if the surgical technologist wasn’t required to continue their learning and prove their competen-cy. Therefore, professional development is key to continually improving patient safety and demonstrating professionalism and pride for what we do.”
RecognitionHaving the CST credential sets you apart from non-certified surgical technologists in the job pool and the operating room. Right now, everyone except the surgi-cal technologist and surgical assistant is required to hold a credential. Surgeons, anesthesiologists, physician assistants and nurses are all licensed in the states where they practice. Passing the CST exam and
maintaining that credential is the most effective way to to demonstrate your pro-fessional competence and earn the respect of your surgical teammates. “Being a certified surgical technolo-gist allows us to be a widely recognized and respected position in the operating room,” says Lindsey Velker, CST, student representative and graduate from Kings-borough Community College, Brooklyn, New York. “It shows the individual's desire to improve the name and quality of the profession, while demonstrating the knowledge and standards that are expected on a national level. We are the advocate of the patient, and choosing to be certified displays a commitment to patient care and aseptic technique.”
Upward MobilityWhile certification is no guarantee of an increased salary, upward mobility or recognition, it gives you an advantage in those areas, especially when coupled with an employer’s clinical ladder. And, your CST credential protects your job if your employer or your state ever makes certifi-cation a hiring requirement. “I'm a huge advocate of mandatory certification,” says Julie Nelson, CST, student representative and graduate from Iowa Lakes Community College, Esther-ville, Iowa. “I believe in the continuing education aspect, so there aren't techs performing in the field who aren't trained or cutting corners, compromising patient safety. I believe it would also unite us as a profession and could serve as a platform for separating us from nurses, giving us perhaps a new level of respect that we haven't seen yet. …Involvement is essential to changing legislation mandating certi-fication for personnel in every operating room nationwide.”
Job SecurityCertification ensures your ability to work as a surgical technologist in any state in the United States. Currently, Idaho, Indiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennes-see and Texas have requirements in law based on graduation from an accredited surgical technology program and surgical technologist certification. Five more may implement similar laws. Liz Williams, student representative
and graduate from Concorde Career College, San Diego, Calif., says certifica-tion for surgical technologists is “highly important” because “most hospitals now will require you to obtain your certifica-tion within 6 months of being hired in order to continue your employment.” The CST credential is the largest profes-sional certification for surgical technolo-gists in the nation and the only credential accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies.
You are already paying for school to become a surgical technologist. Why, then, do you also need to be certified?
Why Certification is Critical to Your Career
WHO'S WHO
CERTIFICATION
The National Board of Surgical Technol-ogy and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) is responsible for the surgical technology certifying exam and the requirements and process related to certification. Learn more at www.nbstsa.org. The Association of Surgical Technolo-gists (AST) is the national professional organization for surgical technologists, providing continuing education opportuni-ties and resources for its members. As a benefit of membership, AST maintains record of CE credits and reports them to the NBSTSA. Learn more at www.ast.org. The Commission on Accreditation of Al-lied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) ensures that educational programs in surgical technology meet minimum na-tional accreditation standards. CAAHEP requires students to take the NBSTSA's certifying exam to ensure that their schools are appropriately preparing them to work in the field. CAAHEP’s Accredi-tation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assist-ing (ARC/STSA) specifically works with educational programs in this field. Learn more at www.arcstsa.org.
center because you will not receive a confirmation let-ter with those details. Don’t wait until the last minute to schedule your exam. Individuals are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. You can schedule it for a future date to give yourself more time to study, but you must retake the test before the expiration date provided in your authorization letter or forfeit your fees. You cannot take the exam without an appointment! If you need to reschedule, you must call AMP at least two business days before the date of your sched-uled exam. You can reschedule your exam one time at no charge. More information about testing, including test center rules and reasonable accommodation for per-sons with disabilities, are available on the NBSTSA and AMP websites.
Be PreparedHopefully you have already taken advantage of gold bundle package discounts that include student mem-bership, "AST's Surgical Technology Exam Study Guide" and the CST certifying exam. Go back through the study guide and review the questions you missed. Us-ing those questions, create a list of topics and identify chapters in your surgical technology textbook that you need to study again. If you need additional study materials, AST and the NBSTSA both offer resources to help you study and identify the areas where you need to focus.
Free resources
• The Content Outline on the NBSTSA website lists the topic areas covered on the exam and tells you how many questions will be included from each area. For example 50 questions (or one in four questions) are from the basic sciences area. Make sure you study the topics outlined in that area.
• The NBSTSA’s CST Examination Study Evaluation lets you rank your competency in each of the content areas covered on the test. Study the areas where you feel the least confident.
• Because some students learn more visually than oth-ers, the Association of Surgical Technologists has cre-ated a Pinterest board of study aids. Search for pins that help you understand complex concepts, whether you’re studying for the exam or studying for class.
AdditionAl study tools
• AST and the NBSTSA both offer study guide apps
Reality 101 continued
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to help you practice for the exam. See page 6 of this issue for details about and links to AST’s study guide app or click for details about the NBSTSA’s app.
• The NBSTSA also offers two practice examinations that can be taken online for a fee. Visit their website for details and pricing.
• AST and the NBSTSA recommend specific text-books for studying specialty information, such as instrumenta-tion or pharmacology, for the exam. If you did not purchase these textbooks for use dur-ing your surgical tech-nology program, you
may want to purchase the missing books to help you review. See the list of recommended reference books.
You Got This!You will have taken the exam once, so you’ll already know what to expect. Get plenty of rest the night be-fore and eat healthy the day of the test. Sugar can lead to low energy during the exam (sugar crash) and too much caffeine can add to your anxiety. Give yourself plenty of time to get to the testing center, park and set-tle in before your exam begins. If you are prone to text anxiety, try practicing some meditation or breathing techniques to keep yourself calm. Some people visualize their success or repeat af-firmation statements to quiet their brains. And, study, study, study. Not studying enough in advance is one of the biggest causes of test anxiety. You need to know the material so well that you can recall it under pressure. Rep-etition and extra practice recalling the material will help you commit it to memory. Now that you know what to do if you don’t pass, you can stop worrying about whether you will. You can do it!
A big thanks to all of the surgical technology students and educators who participated in AST’s 2016 Facebook Photo Contest during National Surgical Technologists Week. Winners in the Surgical Technology Schools category met all of the contest criteria and were either drawn or selected by number of votes.
Fortis College, Orange Park, FloridaThe eight surgical technologist students (Blye, Katelyn, Clarke, Daniela, Hoyes, Jordan, Lim, Jerald, Shell-Childers, Melissa, Sporrer, Jesse, Tison, Brittany, Grace, Chrissy, and instructor/photographer Joe Shaffer) at Fortis College wish you a happy surgical technologist week! Flo the flamingo (featured in the center) was awarded to our campus twice in a row during 2016 for having the highest number of student turn out during the Florida State Assembly meetings in Jacksonville and Orlando. Again, Happy National Surgical Technologists Week! (Submitted by Darsha Gorman, CST, BA.)
Oakland Community Col-lege, Southfield, MichiganLunch with the students and staff, then a fun afternoon playing games that worked the mind AND the body. Getting hooked on a “fish game” relay race, and Mayo stand sac races! The 2016-17 ST class of Oakland Community College is completely “hooked” on the profession! (Submit-ted by Anita Caponi, CST, BS.)
Tarrant County College, Fort Worth, TexasThe students of Tarrant County Col-lege Surgical Technology Program - Class of 2017 would like to wish all surgical technologists, and those aspir-ing to be one, a very happy National Surgical Technologists Week! (Submit-ted by Christina Vansyckle Blevins, CST.)
Washburn Institute of Technology, Topeka, KansasThe 2016-2017 Washburn Institute of Technology class celebrated CST week with pride: Potlucks, posters, chalking sidewalks and sharing the LOVE. Here they posed with Mr. Ichabod to show their school pride and to show just who they are! (Sub-mitted by Kristina Mick, CST.)
Triton College, St. Francis, WisconsinKeep Calm and Scrub On! (Submitted by Teri Junge, CST/CSFA.)
AST has also created a National Surgical Technolo-gists Week board in Pinterest to give schools and working techs ideas for how to celebrate next year.
2016 Facebook Photo Contest Winners
Congratulations to the following schools who received prizes for their participation:
Eva Adkins ............................ Gulf Coast State College, Panama City, FL
Stacie Catalano .................. Gulf Coast State College, Panama City, FL
Kathy Mroczkowski............ Gulf Coast State College, Panama City, FL
Desiree Guerra .................... South Plains College, Lubbock, TX
Camio Ramirez .................... South Plains College, Lubbock, TX
Brianna Brooke Smell ........ South Plains College, Lubbock, TX
Chloee Nichole Berry ......... Washington County Career Center, Marietta, OH
Hear from techs from around the country. Add your voice to the national conversation and build your reputation on Facebook and LinkedIn. Need a break? Check out our surgical technology humor board on Pinterest or photos on Instagram.
