CEUs

CONTINUING EDUCATION PROTOCOLS

Purpose: Recertification is required every five years after passing any of the CBSPD certification examinations. The CBSPD's Board of Directors identified that the usual period for significant change in technology/knowledge for the profession is five years, therefore determined that this is an appropriate cycle.

Recertification is achieved through retesting or continued work in the profession and/or continuing education. The requirement to attain 100 or 150 points (depending on the certification you have) over the five year period was selected to enhance the continued competence of the certificants. CBSPD defines continued competence consistent with the NCCA whose definition is "demonstrating specified levels of knowledge, skills, or ability not only at the time of initial certification but throughout an individual's professional career." This process is reinforced by requiring that all Continuing Education points must be earned in the specific content areas of the respective examination. Topics not included on the exams are not considered for Continuing Education credits. To further enhance the Continuing Education, all education must be submitted to the CBSPD Continuing Education Committee for review as to relevance to the candidate’s re-certification credit. Individuals are therefore encouraged to attend educational seminars, watch videos or read journals to enhance their competence and for their professional and personal growth. Each recertification application is thoroughly reviewed by the CBSPD staff for compliance with this policy.

The CBSPD has developed the following information to clarify the criteria needed for recertification:

1. 1. Educational Programs are to be concentrated in subject areas directly related to the examination content, and should reflect the newest advances in each area as well as any changes in the examination content. The examination content is subject to change every five years when a new Job Analysis must be performed. These changes are published in the candidate bulletin which can be found on the CBSPD website at www.cbspd.net, under Exams: Certification Exams: Technician, Ambulatory Surgery, Surgical Instrument, GI Scope or Management.
   2. Programs must be reviewed and contact hours approved by the CBSPD Continuing Education Committee. All programs should be submitted to Online Application for CEU Approval or mailed to the CBSPD for approval at least 6 weeks prior to the presentation but will be accepted up to 6 weeks after the presentation.
   3. Approved programs are granted one (1) point per contact hour based on a sixty (60) minute hour of educational content to be used only once in a five year recertification period.

EXAMINATION CONTENT for each level of Certification is listed below:

CERTIFIED TECHNICIAN: The educational program(s) subject content for the CSPDT must be directly related to, and should reflect the most current advances in each area:

1. Roles and Responsibilities of the CSPDT
2. Life Sciences including Anatomy and Physiology and Biology
3. Decontamination and Disinfection
4. Preparation and Handling
5. Sterilization
6. Sterile Storage, Inventory Management and Distribution
7. Ethics

CERTIFIED AMBULATORY SURGERY TECHNICIAN: The educational program(s) subject content for the CASSPT must be directly related to, and should reflect the most current advances in each area:

1. Roles and Responsibilities of the CASSPT
2. Life Sciences including Anatomy and Physiology
3. Decontamination and Disinfection
4. Preparation and Handling
5. Sterilization
6. Sterile Storage and Inventory Management
7. Ethics

SUPERVISOR: The educational program(s) subject content for the CSPDS must be directly related to: (Exam no longer available - these are related to the current CSPDS' only)

1. Fiscal Management
2. Human Resources Management
3. Roles and Responsibilities
4. Life Sciences
5. Decontamination
6. Preparation and Handling
7. Sterilization
8. Sterile Storage, Inventory Management and Distribution

MANAGEMENT (Title change only, former designation SPD Manager): The educational program(s) content for the CSPM must be directly related to and should reflect the most current advances in:

1. Rules and Regulations
2. Roles and Responsibilities of the CSPM
3. Fiscal Management
4. Human Resources
5. Life Sciences
6. General Knowledge

SURGICAL INSTRUMENT PROCESSOR: The educational program(s) subject content for the CSIP must be directly related to and should reflect the most current advances in: (Exam no longer available - these are related to the current CSIPs' only)

1. Decontamination of Surgical Instruments
2. Preparation and Packaging of Surgical Instruments
3. Sterilization of Surgical Instruments
4. General Knowledge of Instrumentation

FLEXIBLE ENDOSCOPE REPROCESSOR: The educational program(s) subject content for the CFER must be directly related to, and should reflect the most current advances in:

1. Rules and Regulations and Safety
2. Life Sciences
3. Scopes and Accessories for Endoscopic Procedures
4. Handling and Cleaning of Scopes and Accessories
5. Reprocessing of Scopes and Accessories
6. Documentation
7. Ethics

SURGICAL INSTRUMENT SPECIALIST:The educational program(s) subject content for the CSIS must be directly related to, and should reflect the most current advances in:

1. Care of Surgical Instruments
2. Identification of Surgical Instruments by Proper Name
3. Components, Assembly and Configuration of Individual Sets
4. Instrument Inspection and Safety Testing
5. Loaner/Implant Sets and Components
6. Ethics

The total points that need to be accumulated over the 5 years to recertify are as follows:

Technician (CSPDT) - 100
Ambulatory Surgery Technician (CASSPT) - 100
Flexible Endoscope Reprocessor (CFER) - 100
Surgical Instrument Processor/Specialist (CSIS) - 100
Supervisor (CSPDS)/Manager (CSPDM)/Management (CSPM) - 150

Recertification points may be obtained in the following manner:

1. Adult or Continuing Education - These programs are defined as programs that extend over multiple days/weeks that cover exam content material but do not qualify as a “college” course. The course must be taken during the certificant's 5 year recertification period. You need to provide a copy of a certificate of completion of the course at the time of recertification that includes the course title, location and dates the course was taken.

Programs are granted 1 point per contact hour for a maximum of:

• TECHNICIAN - 5 points per recertification period.
• AMBULATORY SURGERY TECHNICIAN - 5 points per recertification period.
• FLEXIBLE ENDOSCOPE REPROCESSOR - 5 points per recertification period.
• SURGICAL INSTRUMENT PROCESSOR & SPECIALIST - 5 points per recertification period.
• SUPERVISOR/MANAGER/MANAGEMENT - 10 points per recertification period.

2. College courses - will be awarded one (1) point per credit hour with completion of the course with a grade of "70" or better, to a maximum of 10 points per recertification period. Proof of attendance and grade will be necessary at the time of recertification. Examples of approved courses are Biology, Chemistry, Safety, Anatomy/Physiology, Microbiology. Other courses should be submitted to the CBSPD for consideration. The course must be taken during the certificant's 5 year recertification period.

3. Employment - Verification of length of employment and employment status (must say full-time or part-time), must be made by the employer on facility letterhead and signed by the Human Resources Department or Department Supervisor.

• TECHNICIAN, AMBULATORY SURGERY TECHNICIAN, SURGICAL INSTRUMENT PROCESSOR & SPECIALIST, and FLEXIBLE ENDOSCOPE REPROCESSOR: Full-Time - 10 points per year; Part-time - (at least 20 hours/week) 5 points per year, per diem - (at least 6 days per month) 3 points per year during a five year recertification period. THE MAXIMUM POINTS PER YEAR FOR WORKING IS 10 (TEN).
• SUPERVISOR/MANAGER/MANAGEMENT: Full-time 5 points per year; Part-time (20 hours/week) 2.5 points per year during a five year recertification period. THE MAXIMUM POINTS PER YEAR FOR WORKING IS 5 (FIVE).

4. Chairing or serving on Committees or holding office in a local, state, and/or national level of an SPD related Healthcare Professional Organization. Serving or chairing on a Committee or holding office must be during the certificant's 5 year recertification period. A letter printed on the organization’s letterhead stating the dates served to list the office held, the Committee Chaired or Committee served on will be needed. A letter signed by an organization officer, other than the certificant, will be needed.  Credit may be given to the same person for serving on a Committee, as well as, chairing or holding office on a different Committee during a five-year recertification period.

Credit will be awarded as follows:

SERVING ON A COMMITTEE:

• TECHNICIAN, AMBULATORY SURGERY TECHNICIAN, SURGICAL INSTRUMENT PROCESSOR & SPECIALIST, and FLEXIBLE ENDOSCOPE REPROCESSOR: 2 points per year for a maximum of 10 points per recertification period.
• SUPERVISOR/MANAGER/MANAGEMENT: 5 points per year for a maximum of 25 points per recertification period.

CHAIRING OR HOLDING OFFICE ON A COMMITTEE:

• TECHNICIAN, AMBULATORY SURGERY TECHNICIAN, SURGICAL INSTRUMENT PROCESSOR & SPECIALIST, and FLEXIBLE ENDOSCOPE REPROCESSOR:     4 points per year for a maximum of 20 points per recertification period.

• SUPERVISOR/MANAGER/MANAGEMENT:   7 points per year for a   maximum of 35 points per recertification period.

5. Programs, departmental in-services, videos, printed in-services in magazines, newsletters, websites, podcasts, webinars:  The CBSPD CEU Committee reviews and awards contact hour approval. The approval status (approval code number or pre-approval status), approved contact hour(s), date in-service printed (if applicable), good for five years from publication date, and date completed are to be placed on a Certificate or inservice listing for each individual and signed by the department Manager or designee who is verifying that the individual completed the inservice, printed post-test. All individual in-services, videos, printed inservices are to be used only once during a 5 year recertification period.

6. Submitting test questions: For every 5 (five) test questions submitted and accepted by the Item Review Committee, 1 contact hour will be awarded for a maximum of 15 points per recertification period. Each question submitted must be relative to the exam content outline, must specify which test it was written for, have current references and four possible answers with the correct answer identified. A certificate from the Item Review Committee will be sent once the questions are accepted.

7. Writing an inservice with 10 post questions related to the CBSPD exam content outline - submit for approval by the CBSPD and subsequently published - 5 points per printed inservice, no more than 2 inservices per year for a maximum of 50 points per recertification period. A copy of the published inservice would need to be submitted with recertification material.

8. Published article related to CBSPD exam content outline during the current recertification period - (article of 800-1000 words - 10 points per year), no more than 1 article per year for a maximum of 50 points per recertification period - a copy of the publication must accompany the recertification material.

9. Presentations of CS/SPD educational programs that relate to the exam content outline to groups(other than departmental in-services)- 1 point per contact hour to a maximum of 10 points per year or 50 points per recertification period. Must include a brochure /announcement of the presentation/program that includes the date of presentation with the program objectives with recertification material.

10. For the Flexible Endoscope Reprocessor Certification: Presentations of Flexible Endoscope Reprocessing educational programs that relate to the exam content outline to groups (other than departmental in-services) - 1 point per contact hour to a maximum of 10 points per year or 50 points per recertification period. Must include a brochure /announcement of the presentation/program that includes the date of presentation with the program objectives with recertification material.

To expedite and facilitate the approval of Continuing Education programs, the CBSPD encourages pre-approval for all programs. It is recommended that programs be submitted at least six weeks before the program., but no more than 6 weeks after the program presentation.

*PLEASE NOTE: It is the responsibility of the agency/group sponsoring the seminar to ensure that all individuals remain until the end of the program. Anyone leaving before the end of the program should be supplied with a revised certificate or amend the original certificate, indicating the number of contact hours the registrant was present. Non-compliance with this stipulation may result in loss of privileges for CEU approval from the CBSPD.

PURPOSE: To encourage and advance the knowledge and technical skills of Sterile Processing and Distribution Technicians, Ambulatory Surgery Technicians, Supervisors, Managers and Surgical Instrument Processors & Specialists and Flexible Endoscope Reprocessors certified by the CBSPD, the Continuing Education Committee will review educational programs (sponsored by allied professional organizations or related entities), videos, printed and web site inservices and departmental inservices for applicable continuing education credits.

To submit an EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM SPONSORED BY A PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION AND/OR RELATED ENTITY (i.e. Vendor, Manufacturer)

1. Obtain an Application for review of an Educational Program or Inservice from the CBSPD website or submit a program by mail to the CBSPD office.

2. If the educational program is a Seminar, an official program attached to the submission form will be accepted as long as all of the following information is included in the printed program (if the program is not available to make sure that this information is on the application form correctly):
a. Program Title and Sponsoring Organization/Agency
b. Date(s) and Location of Program
c. Program Content
d. Program Objectives
e. Faculty
f. Number of Educational Hours (NOTE: Approval is based on a 60 minute hour of educational content and does not include Breaks, Luncheon, Tours and exhibit time.
g. A breakdown of the time frames for each topic must accompany any request for a seminar review.

3. Submit the printed program and the CBSPD approval form at least six weeks prior to the program but no more than 6 weeks after the program presentation.

4. If approved by the CBSPD, an approval code number and contact hours will be assigned to each program. THIS NUMBER IS TO REMAIN CONFIDENTIAL AND IS NOT TO BE PRINTED IN THE PROGRAM OR ANNOUNCED. The registrants should be provided with a Certificate of Attendance (at the end of the program) with the participant's name, the program title, date program presented, the CBSPD approval code and the number of contact hours approved. The certificate must be signed by a representative of the sponsoring organization.

5. CERTIFICATES ARE TO BE MAINTAINED BY THE PARTICIPANT AND NOT SUBMITTED TO THE CBSPD UNTIL IT IS TIME FOR RECERTIFICATION (once every five years).

6. Please note the following if you are requesting approval of a program or seminar as the sponsoring organization or company:

• You can publish the fact that the program has been approved by the CBSPD, however, the approval code number is not to be published in any flyer or brochure advertising the program.
• If the program will be held over several days, you will receive an approval code number for each day, so that those individuals attending only one day will receive credit. You will also receive a number for all days combined.
• We ask that you put the approval code number on the certificates before you give them to the attendee.
• We require that you NOT GIVE OUT CERTIFICATES UNLESS AN INDIVIDUAL IS IN ATTENDANCE FOR THE ENTIRE TIME APPROVAL IS GRANTED FOR or HOURS ARE ADJUSTED ACCORDINGLY.

***INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY

Assure Program or Seminar you have or are planning to attend can be used for recertification: It is your responsibility to assure that the CBSPD approval code and number of CEUs/Hours are on your certificate.

1. If you attend a Seminar and learn it has not been approved by the CBSPD, submit a request yourself and if approved, attach the approval letter received from CBSPD to your certificate of attendance. Maintain this information until it is time for your recertification.

2. To submit DEPARTMENTAL INSERVICE PROGRAMS for approval:
a. The Department Manager, Supervisor, or individual responsible for inservice, should obtain an Application for Review of an Educational Program/Inservice from the CBSPD website or printed form from the CBSPD for completion. The form must be submitted to CBSPD no later than 6 weeks after the inservice has been given.
b. It is recommended to develop and require a post-test to determine the effectiveness of the in-service.
c. The CBSPD will review the program submission for approval. If approved, an approval code and contact hours will be assigned. The individual providing the submission will be advised of the action taken.
d. All employees who have attended the inservice and/or completed the post-test should be provided a certificate or letter/listing on the hospital letterhead, with the following information: Participants Name: Program Title; Inservice Date; Approval Code Number; Approved Contact Hours. The certificate, letter or listing should be signed by the Department Head or designee. Each inservice is to be used only once during an individual's 5 year recertification period.
e. Proof of attendance (i.e. certificates, letters, Ongoing CEU records, etc.) ARE TO BE MAINTAINED BY THE PARTICIPANT AND NOT SUBMITTED TO THE CBSPD UNTIL IT IS TIME FOR RECERTIFICATION (once every five years).

NOTE THE FOLLOWING:

• Only one person in the department or the department Manager/Supervisor should apply for approval of a departmental inservice.
• Once an approval number has been received, that number is to be provided to all attendees by the Manager or Supervisor on a Certificate or Letter of Attendance or documented on the Ongoing CEU Record form, which has the attendees name, program title, approval code number, date of inservice and contact hours awarded.
• If your employer maintains your educational/inservice records on computer sheets the approval code number, contact hours awarded, date and title of the inservice/program must appear on that record and be signed by the employer.
• Annual required Fire, Safety, and Infection Prevention inservices required by your facility are covered in the points awarded for work experience and will not be approved for additional hours.

GENERAL INFORMATION: If you attended an inservice program that was not submitted for pre-approval by the CBSPD, it is very important to note the approval process takes approximately six weeks to complete. Please, allow enough time for this process. When submitting an inservice for approval (which was not pre-approved), DO NOT submit your certificate of attendance at this time. If approved by the CBSPD, an approval code number and contact hours will be assigned to each program. THIS NUMBER IS TO REMAIN CONFIDENTIAL. If the program is approved, the registrant will be provided with a letter stating the program title, date program presented, the CBSPD approval code, and the number of contact hours approved. You must maintain these certificates in a file to be submitted at the time you are required to recertify. All programs must be submitted for approval. The only exceptions are:

• There are inservices found in multiple journals and on certain websites that have been pre-approved for five (5) years from date of publication. These printed inservices are to have the statement (this inservice has been pre-approved by the CBSPD for ____ Hours.) Always verify the in-service has been approved by the CBSPD. You need to have a signed certificate/list from your Supervisor or Manager with your name, the name, and date of the publication, the title of the inservice and the date completed. This certificate/list verifies that you have completed the post test. If you have several quizzes, then have your Manager down the CEU Ongoing Record Sheet (found at: Download CEU Record sheet) or develop a custom form on hospital letterhead that contains a listing of each quiz passed including the date the quiz was taken, title of the inservice, title of the journal, date of the journal, your name and a signature by your Manager which shows that you passed each quiz. If the inservice/post test is pre-approved and does not have a code, please note this. If the inservice was submitted for approval, please supply the code and amount of points it was awarded by our CEU Committee. Each in-service is to be used only once during a 5 year recertification period. HPN  (all except the Purdue Self Study Series - those have approval codes or are being submitted with the certificate from Purdue) and the CBSPD Newsletter, "The Criterion" have pre-approved in-services.
• Published or Internet inservices that offer CBSPD contact hour options that have been reviewed by the CBSPD CEU Committee for the organization providing that inservice are to have a statement that the CBSPD has reviewed the inservice. The directions to obtain the CBSPD approval code number from the sponsoring organization that is published with these inservices must be followed. Each inservice is to be used only once during a 5 year recertification period.
• Published or Internet inservices that do not state they offer CBSPD approved or pre-approved contact hours may be submitted to the CBSPD CEU Committee for review and would be handled as departmental inservices.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING THE APPLICATION FOR REVIEW OF AN EDUCATIONAL SEMINAR/PROGRAM OR INSERVICE

PLEASE READ INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY

1. DEPARTMENT INSERVICES:

If applying for approval of a departmental inservice please note the following:

• Only one person in the department or the department Manager/Supervisor has to apply for approval of a program.
• Once an approval number has been received that number is to be provided to all attendees by the Manager or Supervisor on a certificate of attendance which has the attendees name, program title, approval code number, date and CEUs/HRS awarded.
• If your employer maintains your educational/inservice records on the computer the approval code number, CEUs/HRS awarded, date, and title of the program must appear on that record.

2.  PROGRAM OR SEMINAR AS THE SPONSORING ORGANIZATION OR COMPANY

If your organization or company is sponsoring the program you are seeking approval for there are several things you must know:

• You are not to publish the approval code number in any flyer or brochure advertising the program. You can publish the fact that the program has been approved by the CBSPD.
• If the program will be held over several days, you will receive an approval code number for each day so that those individuals attending only one day will receive credit. You will also receive a number for all days combined.
• We ask that you put the approval code number on the certificate before you give them to the attendee.
• We require that you NOT GIVE OUT CERTIFICATES UNLESS AN INDIVIDUAL IS IN ATTENDANCE FOR ENTIRE TIME APPROVAL IS GRANTED FOR or HOURS MUST BE ADJUSTED.

3. PROGRAM OR SEMINAR YOU HAVE OR ARE PLANNING TO, ATTEND.

It is your responsibility to put the approval code and number of CEUs/Hours on your certificate after the program and to maintain that certificate until it is time for your recertification.

GENERAL INFORMATION

It is very important that you understand that the process takes approximately six weeks to complete. Please, allow enough time for this process.

DO NOT submit your certificate of attendance for approval AT THIS TIME. You must maintain these certificates in a file to be submitted at the time you are required to recertify every five years.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VIEW OUR Inservice Resources. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, CONTACT THE CEU Committee by e-mail or contact the CBSPD by telephone (1-908-236-0530).