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February 2, 2009 | Show All

South Carolina State Assembly

South Carolina Surgical Technologist Law

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: If DHEC will be "policing" the hospital files for compliance with the 15 CEU per year - "who is the contact at DHEC?

Hospitals will not need to do any extra reporting to DHEC, and won't have to fill out any forms or send in CE reports to DHEC as a part of this new law. "Policing" is done as a part of the normal, regular hospital licensure review process. As a part of the normal licensure review process, employee files may be checked, and in addition to the things they have traditionally checked, they may check these files for the presence of documentation of the continuing education as required by the new law.

Question: Is there formal paperwork that DHEC will provide for the hospital?

There shouldn't be any special paperwork necessary, because the monitoring is done as a part of the regular hospital license review process.

Question: Is there a guideline on the type of CEU that the hospitals must provide for the ST?

What the law says in simple terms is this:

A person who qualifies to practice surgical technology in a health care

facility annually must complete fifteen hours of continuing education to

remain qualified for employment.

A health care facility that employs a person to practice surgical technology

shall verify that the person meets the continuing education requirements or

that the person has held and maintained the CST credential.

The law is simply stating that everyone employed as a surgical technologist must complete 15 hours of continuing education annually to remain eligible for employment. What that means is that everyone employed as a surgical technologist must complete 15 hours of continuing education to remain qualified or employment, and that each healthcare facility must verify that its surgical technologist employees has done so. Where the continuing education comes from is not specified, so it could be AST approved continuing education courses, hospital in-services, AORN workshops, or any other type of appropriate education.

The law is that the continuing education has to be done, but not about what it has to be, it's not

prescriptive in this area. It should be noted, though, for Certified Surgical Technologists, that

maintaining the CST credential is accepted under this law as proof of completion of the appropriate continuing education. Individuals who hold the CST credential must, according to the rules of the

National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting, complete AST approved continuing

education, but as far as the State of South Carolina is concerned, having documentation in the employee me of continuing certification meets the continuing education requirement.

Question: Can CEU be hospital based mandatory in-services?

Yes, see above for grandfathered (non-certified individuals) For CSTs, AST Continuing Education

Participant Policy applies. Hospital in-services are, at the time of the writing of this document, accepted

under those policies. The AST Continuing Education Participant Policy booklet contains a lot of important information, but in short it states that CE credits can be earned in lecture, clinical demonstration, hospital sponsored functions, independent home-study courses, writing for publications, and instruction of health professionals. Hospital orientation is not accepted for CE credits for renewing CSTs.

Question: Can CE be anything AORN sponsors?

The law simply states that individuals employed as surgical technologists must complete 15 hours of continuing education annually to remain eligible for employment. It doesn't specify where the continuing education must come from. Individuals who are maintaining their CST credential will want to complete

AST approved continuing education in order to maintain the CST.

Question: Can CE be hospital in-services?

Yes.

How can I become a CE provider for AST so this can be two-fold for the non-certified ST & the CST's?

Contact the Education Department at AST at 800-637-7433 for more information, or go to the web site at www.ast.org and choose "Education."

If the non-certified ST takes a break in their career, it is my understanding that they can re-gain entry into the OR by proving that they

maintained 15 CE per year. - Do these CE credits have to be AST approved?

An individual who had already worked as a surgical technologist prior to January 1, 2008 would be able to re-enter the profession by showing that they had completed any continuing education acceptable to

DHEC. Individuals who entered the profession after that date, and therefore were required to hold the CST credential could also re-enter the profession by completing any continuing education acceptable to DHEC, but they also would need to have maintained their CST credential in order to be eligible to work.

Question: What has been gained by the passage of this new law?

AST's legislative mission and goal has long been "Graduation from an accredited program in surgical technology and holding / maintaining the Certified Surgical Technologist credential administered by the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) as a condition of employment."

This law accomplishes that goal, while recognizing those individuals who have long practiced in the

state and allowing them to continue their careers uninterrupted

It is a simple regulation that accomplishes much for the profession, including the definition within state law of surgical technology as a real profession for the first time in South Carolina, along with education and credentialing standards.

Additionally, the passage of this law has given momentum to the concept of individual professions

working in concert to collaborate towards the enactment of laws that benefit operating room patients. As of the date of the writing of this document, some 22 State Assemblies of AST are at some phase of the process of following suit, building on the language that was passed in South Carolina.

If you have any questions about how the law will work, or how it will affect you or those you work with, please call AST at 303-325-2500. We'll be happy to help.

This document will be maintained and updated on the AST web site at Please check there for updates with responses as any new questions arise.

Note: The Association of Surgical Technologists provides this information on an educational basis and does not offer legal advice. AST recommends that individuals or health care facilities consult with their attorneys for answers to legal questions.

Posted At : 7:09 PM. | Posted By : SC_AST.WEBMASTER08 | Link |

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