Fw: [AIRNEWS] Costs of state registration

[Jenny & Geoff Parkes]

Title: Re: [AIRNEWS] Costs of state registration

Well said Sue -  - Sonographers have national ACCREDITATION - not registration - it ensures a basic minimum standard and that the sonographer is either deemed of sufficient experience or has or is undergoing a recognised course and is keeping up to date.  This was vital to the profession as anyone could previously have performed an ultrasound examination with absolutely NO formal training.  The grandfathered stage is now over and now all those wishing to become sonographers must undergo a course that is accredited.   -such accreditation ensures appriopriate qualficiation, training and ongoing CPD -- those who have been commenting recently in this forum should perhaps become better informed and consult the ASAR website - www.asar.com.au   - I had thought we had gotten to the phase where people actually realised that not all sonographers are radiographers also!   -  those who bleat about the supervision aspect in regard to "sonographer registration" really are not informed - these are TOTALLY separate issues - supervision came about prior to sonographer accreditation ; they are not related at all - I know as I attended the DHAC meetings at the time!!  Of course such supervision of demeaning and unnecessary, it is all politics!!!   - to be honest - it was the great mess of various state radiographer registrations that encouraged the sonographer profession to look to an alternative mechanism to ensure a nationally accepted process - that has been acheived, but is an ongoing process.   Jenny Parkes AMS, Past President ASA, MIT.       ----- Original Message ----- From: Sue Cummins To: AIRNEWS Sent: Monday, December 02, 2002 11:21 PM Subject: Re: [AIRNEWS] Costs of state registration There seems to be some confusion regarding the accreditation of sonographers.  Until accreditation, there was no way of knowing how many sonographers were working in Australia and what qualificaions they possessed.  There are nearly 3000 sonographers accredited, many of whom are not radiographers.  They may have been nurses, midwives,cardiac technicians, overseas trained doctors, science graduates, etc.     This is NOT registration as achieved by the Queensland radiographers.   Sonographers have accreditation according to the ultrasound course the individual has completed (or the length of experience, if accredited under the 'grandfathering' clause).  The sonographer is known as an Accredited Medical Sonographer or AMS.  Breast sonographers are known as ABS.   The Accreditation Register is managed by ASAR, but ASAR has no disciplinary powers and individuals can only be asked to show cause (and may be removed) if they do not complete the CPD requirements or pay the yearly subscription. Many Queensland sonographers working in public hospitals have also been registered as radiographers.  I understand this is because they are actually employed as radiographers.  They do not need to be accredited as a sonographer unless the radiologist they work with is claiming a rebate for the patient who has an utrasound examination. My personal feeling is that state registration for sonographers would not be achieved without a commitment from those who are privately employed and I don't know if that is what sonographers want to happen.   With the current form of accreditation we may have the beginning of a national registration, but early days for that yet. Sue Cummins AIR rep on ASAR