Newsletter

Welcome to the January/February 2017 issue of the ARC/STSA E-newsletter! The Board of Directors and staff team are excited for the year that is ahead of us!

As a surgical technology program director, I believe it is imperative that faculty are supported to attend conferences. It is extremely important for one to increase their understanding and knowledge in their respective field. Conferences give faculty the opportunity to stay abreast of the latest evidence-based practices, guidelines, protocols, procedures and technological advances. They also provide faculty the opportunity to network and build working relationships across the country.

Deans and administrators are often responsible for providing the funds and approving time away for program directors to receive professional development in their specialty fields. With decreasing state funding and shrinking budgets, this is not always an easy task. However, it is a vital task that should not be forgotten. Not only is it imperative and required for directors to actively participate in professional development; it is ultimately the backbone for disseminating current knowledge to our students. The monetary support of professional development activities results in the increased intellectual growth of the director and the programs in which they serve. This growth can result in better communication, expansion of knowledge, increased networking and, most importantly, the rejuvenation of motivation.

This journey may sound familiar to some, but each time I reflect upon it, I am amazed at the number of twists and turns. Barely old enough to buy scratch-off tickets, I learned to work alongside some of the most dedicated and passionate people on Earth as a surgical technologist. I didn’t really understand the magnitude of actually saving lives at that point. Naiveté was a blessing, I guess. My first full-time job was working at a rural hospital in Bennington, Vermont, making $7.50 an hour. The facility didn’t even have a job description for me. It astounds me to think about how far the profession has come since then.

As 2016 draws to a close, ARC/STSA is pleased to congratulate institutions that were awarded Initial Accreditation or Continuing Accreditation of either their surgical technology or surgical assisting programs in 2016.

By Libby McNaron The future of the professions of surgical technology and surgical first assisting needs our support. In light of an upcoming surgeon shortage, it is important to produce professionals who are armed with knowledge that will allow them to step up when needed. The question is, how can we make it a learning process that meets the strenuous needs [...]

Have you ever considered becoming a site visitor? I know, you’re really busy; it’s hard to take the time to leave your own program to visit someone else’s. Why on earth would you want to add to your workload? Let’s talk about it!

There are many acronyms used in our profession, and I am going to add one more set for you: SASA is the Subcommittee on Accreditation for Surgical Assisting. It is a permanent subcommittee of the Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (ARC/STSA).

All program directors know it takes the input and collaboration of many individuals and entities to make a program run: the college, administration, dean, staff, students, accreditation agencies, and communities served all play a role. One key element every institution needs to obtain and maintain accreditation for its surgical technology and surgical assisting programs is an advisory committee. The purpose of these committees is to assist educators and administrators in assessing a program’s goals and learning domains, and providing feedback. In other words, advisory committees help programs run successfully. However, they can be difficult for program directors to manage.

The ARC/STSA Educator’s Scholarship Program is designed to assist surgical technology and surgical assisting educators pursuing academic degrees with the intent of furthering their careers in the field of surgical technology or surgical assisting education. A scholarship of up to $1,000 is awarded annually to the selected recipient.