September 2016

If you’re pursing a postprimary credential, you already know about clinical experience requirements.

To earn a new credential, you must complete certain clinical procedures within your new discipline—and you need someone to verify that you performed the procedures.

Recently we’ve learned that some verifiers are unsure of their responsibilities. Some have even asked if they could “unverify” a procedure.

To clarify responsibilities, we’ve created this short overview for you—and them. Please share it with your verifiers and potential verifiers.

WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO

You’re responsible for choosing appropriate verifiers. In most cases, they must be Registered Technologists (R.T.s) or interpreting physicians—e.g. medical doctors (M.D.s) or doctors of osteopathy (D.O.s). Disciplines have somewhat different guidelines for verification—see the introductory section of your discipline’s Clinical Experience Requirements for specifics.

Once you identify potential verifiers, ask them if they’re willing to verify your clinical experience requirements. You’ll need the name and email address of each person. Then, as you complete clinical procedures, log the following into your online documentation tools:

• Information requested about the procedures
• The name of your verifier
• The email address of your verifier

Our system will link your procedures to your verifier’s account. Your verifier then reviews the information and approves or denies the request for verification. Our system completes all actions immediately—which means you’ll get your results as soon as your verifier responds.

Keep in mind: submitting a false report of clinical experience could trigger an ethics investigation. Ultimately, you could lose your certification and registration—if we determine you tried to subvert the integrity of the certification and registration process.

Have questions? Call Clinical Requirements at 651.687.0048, then choose the option for earning an ARRT credential.

WHAT VERIFIERS HAVE TO DO

If you’ve been asked to be a verifier for someone pursuing a postprimary credential with ARRT, you should know exactly what your role will be.

The technical requirements are simple. Once someone nominates you as a verifier, you’ll receive a welcome email from ARRT. It will ask for some information about your credentials. After you’re authorized as a verifier, our system will recognize your name and email each time you log in.

When candidates add procedures for you to verify, log into www.arrt.org and click on “Verify Clinical Experience Documentations.” You’ll receive a reminder email from ARRT if you wait too long.

Be sure to carefully review any procedures the candidate submits. We’re relying on you to make sure candidates are prepared to provide high-quality patient care.

Candidates must complete procedures according to the guidelines of their specific discipline and according to your facility protocols. In addition, you as a verifier might have even more stringent requirements. For example, you might decide that candidates must perform procedures with no mistakes, or you might want candidates to perform several procedures before you begin verifying. That’s up to you.

Keep in mind: If you’re an R.T. verifying the procedures of a colleague, you’re held to the same Standards of Ethics as the person completing the procedure. Technologists submitting false reports—or who falsely verify someone else’s experience—could become part of an ethics investigation.  Ultimately, that could result in sanctions including revocation of your certification and registration.

Have questions? Call Clinical Requirements at 651-687-0048, then choose the option for earning an ARRT credential.