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Recertification News
ABRET Recertification Changes and Tips for Renewing Your Credential
Introduction to Recertification
Recertification has been a trend in healthcare. Nearly all professions now require recertification. Life-long credentials are no longer feasible in our rapidly changing profession.
ABRET’s goal for recertification is to encourage technologists to maintain their credential through participation in educational activities. The overall goal of recertification is to maintain a level of knowledge, skills, and competency; to continue to learn and keep up with current trends and technology.
ABRET believes that credentialed technologists need to take responsibility for maintaining adequate knowledge and skills in their registry area. END Technologists need to be responsible health care providers by keeping up with current advances.
Recertification requirements have changed for technologists credentialed or recertified as of 2006. After an investigation of other credentialing organizations and reviewing the advances in the field over the last ten years, a change was made for the CNIM recertification and a minor change for the EEG and EP recertifications to take place as of 2006. ABRET believes this will further the profession, enhance the professionalism of the technologist, and benefit patients and the medical professionals for whom you work.
Who is Affected?
If you were credentialed in EEG and/or EP between1964-1996, you have lifetime credentials. This has not and is not being changed.
For those who passed the written EEG and/or EP exam in 1997 or thereafter, you have a 10 year credentials and must submit 60 hours of continuing education by the end of your 10th year. If you are not sure if you have a time limited credential, you can check your certificate or verify your own credentials on the ABRET website, www.abret.org.
Technologists who earned a CNIM credential have always had time limited credentials. For CNIMs credentialed between1996-2005, credentials were awarded for 10 years. To renew this credential, technologists must submit 60 hours of continuing education by the end of their 10th year.
Here are the changes as of 2006:
Technologists earning an R. EEG T. or R. EP T. in 2006 or thereafter are still awarded a ten year certification. However, to recertify technologists must turn in 30 hours of continuing education by the end of their fifth year of certification, and another 30 hours by the end of their tenth year of certification.
Technologists earning a CNIM credential in 2006 or recertifying thereafter are awarded a five year certificate. To recertify technologists must turn in 50 hours of continuing education by the end of the fifth year.
Acceptable Continuing Education
It is not ABRET’s goal to force credentialed technologists to spend excessive resources to attend expensive meetings and programs. ABRET’s goal is to make sure technologists maintain their credential by continuing to learn and participating in their field. Here are some ways technologists may earn continuing education hours.
- Any ASET courses or programs (live, online, conference or courses)
- ASET Journal ACE Question and Answers
- Regional meetings and programs that are focused on END
- Programs sponsored by other professional organizations as long as they are relevant to the credential
- In-house activities such as Grand Rounds, Record Review sessions, other presentations as long as they are relevant to the credential
If a session is attended and formal continuing education hours are not awarded, the technologist may count the contact hours (exclude breaks and meal times). A record of the content and proof of attendance is required. An acceptable record may be a program signed by the presenter or a letter from the presenter or department director.
Technologists should keep documentation of their attendance at programs that are being submitted on their Continuing Education Documentation form in case their form is audited.
Education/Continuing Education that Cannot be Used for Recertification
- College courses
- Education obtained while a student in an END program, accredited or non-accredited
- Hours earned before the credential was awarded
- Courses, lectures and seminars not directly related to the credential
Another Option
Alternatively, technologists may select to retake the written exam rather than submitting continuing education hours. However, technologists not passing the exam will not be able to fall back on submitting continuing education for recertification. The written EEG, EP and CNIM exams are offered twice a year in May and October. Candidate Handbooks should be downloaded from the ABRET or Professional Testing Corporation website.
How
Technologists preparing for recertification should obtain a Continuing Education (CE) Documentation form from the ABRET website. Please read the instructions carefully. If an ASET ACE Credit transcript is being submitted, it should be attached to the ABRET CE form. Please be sure you have the correct form for your renewal. Recertification documentation may be submitted to the ABRET Executive Office in the year the credential expires, but not before. A renewal will be posted in the online credential verification database and recorded in the official ABRET database within two weeks. However, new certificates will not be issued until the end of the year, when the credential is nearing expiration.
| Credentialed between 1997-2005 Requirements have not changed | Credentialed in 2006 or after. New requirements in effect | |
|---|---|---|
| Renewal time period | 10 years | 10 years |
| # of Continuing Education hours required | 60 hours related to END | 60 hours related to the credential (EEG, EP, Epilepsy, or relevant Neurology Topics) |
| Submission of documentation | By end of the 10th year | Proof of 30 hours by the end of the 5th year, and another 30 hours by the end of the 10th year |
| Fees | $75.00 by the end of the 10th year. | $35.00 by the end of the 5th year, plus $40.00 by the end of the 10th year. |
| Credentialed between 1996-2005 Requirements have not changed | Credentialed in 2006 or after. New requirements in effect | |
|---|---|---|
| Renewal time period | 10 years | 5 years |
| # of Continuing Education hours required | 60 hours related to END | 50 hours related to the credential (IOM, EP, EMG, EEG , or relevant Neurology/Orthopedic topics) |
| Submission of documentation | By end of the 10th year | By the end of the 5th year |
| Fees | $75.00 by the end of the 10th year | $75.00 by the end of the 5th year |
Technologists credentialed prior to 1997 have lifetime credentials.