[Histonet] Unregistered techs

Tue May 29 13:58:43 CDT 2012

Lets just get to the crux of all this shall we. 

In some states where license rules. It goes like this. 

I'll use Florida because thats where I am. 

Back in the day the state offered their own test. 3 of them to be specific, technician, technologist and general lab. 

The state decided to stop giving test so they went and allowed the ASCP to offer the way to becoming a histotech. 

Now dont get me wrong, I have a great deal of respect for ASCP, although I do feel they lowered the standards when they got rid of the technical test portion. 

I know many histotechs that went through a internet AS degreed program, such as Florida State College. a Great program by the way. They still require students to go to campus occasionally and a long technical practicum somehwere. These students get QUALITATIVE CHEMISTRY and microbiology. plus a very intensive practicum. You used to have to take immunology, hematology, phlebotomy and some other stuff I cant remember. Never the less still one of the best colleges to seek good techs from. < yes, Im biased. 

But here's what I'm seeing. Many of these out of state programs take in students they NEVER lay an eye on. These people pass a test and they are histotechs. And guess what, many of these students all they care about is passing that test and getting that title and fat paycheck much like all I care about taxes is that Ive filled it out and now send me a return (hopefully). 

I'm going to catch a bunch of stuff for this. But if none of you want to address it, then I have no choice. Because I'm just stuborn that way and I really care about this profession and by god Im getting older and desire for people coming into this profession to have enough knowledge to solve problems. Why? because patient care really is still driving me after all these years. 

So back to license or requiring ASCP. No, you dont have to have ASCP if youve went though all this other stuff Ive talked about in Florida. You are lisensed. But if you are new, yes you have to get ASCP to get one. 

But even if you go through a online internet program and DO NOT have a higher education, Florida will still only reconize to license you as a technician. You will need to have some years under your belt as a technician to take the route to become technologist, then more years to become supervisor. 

There is no real OJT in Florida, you would have to be registered with the state and given a temporary license and you would have to show where you are studying in a approved course to get it. 

Who knows, maybe you even had your husband do the program for you while you were at work or making dinner. But you still have to pass that test so maybe you are a good test taker. Who knows. 

Now, if anyone wants to bash me up, go ahead. Because I have had at least 8 people in the last 2 years who couldnt even tell me what stain stains a nucleus who has graduated from a online course. 

If you want respect, raise the bar. If you raise it so high that I have even half to jump through more hoops , so be it. But dont just ignore where we ALL know the problem is. We are NOT politicians. 

I care for this place and all of you as professionals and I am sorry for being so blunt because I know this is going to hurt me. 

Good Day. 

Kim D

________________________________
 From: "pruegg <@t> ihctech.net" <pruegg <@t> ihctech.net>
To: Dorothy Ragland-Glass <techmana12 <@t> yahoo.com>; David Kemler <histotalk <@t> yahoo.com>; Fellow HistoNetters <Histonet <@t> Lists.UTSouthwestern.edu> 
Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2012 1:18 PM
Subject: RE: [Histonet] Unregistered techs

   There is nothing volunteer about being ASCP certified as an HT or= HTL
   where  I have worked for the last 35 years, all those employed as HT's
   =  at  the  U of Colorado must be ASCP certified and I believe this is
   the case = for most other places doing hospital based Histology, work,
   right????

------= -- Original Message --------

Subject: Re: [Histonet] Unregistered tec= hs

From: Dorothy Ragland-Glass <[1]techmana12 <@t> yahoo.com>

Date: Mon, May 28, 2012 10:14 pm
To: David Kemler <[2]histotalk@   yahoo.com>, Fellow HistoNetters

<[3]Histonet <@t> Lists.UTSouthwestern.edu>

Dorothy R. Glass, BS,HTL(ASCP),IHC

  You  are  so right about = the good old days when you would prove
   who  you  were  and  sit  for  a paper not= computer exam at a medical
   school  close  to  you.  I sat for the HTL in 1988.= I was so proud to
   call  myself  a  Histologist  after  being  trained  at  a Schoo= l of
   Histotechnology  and  being ASCP certified. NOW you have people on the
   j= ob trained just referring to themselves casually as histotects. Not
   histo t= rainees. Unfortunate for us older techs, it is very offensive
   considering w= hat we went through in establishing a career not just a
   job. Some reference= labs is focusing on hiring aids to later, after a
   few  months  train  them  an= d refer to them as histotechs. I hate it
   when the term is used so freely.
Sinserely, frustrated HTL

David Kemler <[4]histotalk <@t> yahoo.com> wrote:

>Good  stuff. In the "old" days, 36 years ago for me, taking th   e  HT(ASCP) exam it was said that you were "registered" by the ASC= P,
   because  the  designation HT is given by the Board of Registry of the   ASCP. Many of the NEW folks use the word "certified". After a total o   f 39  years  (3  years was training before you were eligible) I= still
   only  use registered by the ASCP / Licensed by the State of Florida&n   bsp;and call myself a "histologist".

>

>In  those  d=  ays ( long before the Internet), you took your ASCP
   exam  (HT's,  MT's,  CT's,= BT's, MLT's) at specially selected medical
   schools  across  the  US. You= chose the one giving the exam which was
   closest  to  where  you  lived.  If you=  needed to drive 100 miles or
   further to  get to the examinin= g college on March 15 OR August 15th,
   (the only dates it was given)&nb= sp;that's what you did. Getting into
   the exam auditorium before y= ou were allowed to "sit" (that's what it
   was  called) for the exam, was= a challenge. You had to prove that you
   were  who  you  said  you were or you&n= bsp;were not getting in. Once
   those  guarded  doors  were closed - t= hey were CLOSED! I saw several
   folks  crying  outside the  auditorium  tha= t day n 1975. Chances for
   cheating were eliminated at every turn. Unfortuna= tely, not so today.
   So  you can  see  why  for  us older  techs, i= f you were HT(ASCP) it
   really meant something. Unfortunately, not so t= oday.

>

>Yours,

>Dave

>Hist= onetters,

>

>I see this subject tends to illicit strong s= entiments from

>professionals  who  are  impacted  or have an impact o= n HT/HTL's
   (sort of

>everyone on the net)?.

>

>I=  am  still  in  school,  but  I  want  to  fully understand how
   training,

>=  ;certification,  and registration work for HT/HTLâ€™s.  I
   realize= that

>ASCP  certification  is  voluntary, and that some States requi= re
   some

>sort  of  license or certification, but Iâ€™ve never = heard
   of a â€œRegistryâ€�

>for HT/HTLâ€™s.
   = 
>

>-The  way  I understand through what Iâ€™ve been taug= ht at
   school is that

>Histology is the study of tissue, And that..= .

>

>-To  study  tissue  there  is  another  science  that  prepa=  res
   specimens so

>they can be studied. And that...

>
   =  
>-There  is  a  final sequence â€œQuality Controlâ€�
   that ve= rifies the science

>that  prpares  specimens  is  properly  done so the= tissue can be
   studied.

>And thatâ€¦

>

>In=  order  for  this all to happen successfully and consistently,
   the

>=  HT/HTL's  make  sure that during the whole preparation process,
   safety

= >is observed, proper adherence to federal and state regulations

&g=  t;maintained, plus train other technicians to do the same, and
   much

&= gt;more.

>

>If  I  understood  it  all  correctly  I  canâ€= ™t help but
   wonder:

>

>If HT/HTL's do all of this cruci= al preparation work to make sure

>specimens  are acceptable for pre= cise microscopic identification
   of

>cells, tissue type, diagnosis = of disease, and other needs:

>

>"Why wouldn't we want to = have some method that can gage a set of
   basic

>skills to indicate = a level of competency that HT/HTL's should

>initially  have,  in  ord=  er to enter the field of work that can
   effect so

>many people eith= er directly or indirectly?"

>

>And  also... "Wouldnâ€= ™t having NAACLS accredited training
   and ASCP

>Certifications se= rve to gage those basic skills?"

>

>And  alsoâ€¦  "Wo=  uld  gaging basic skills have a positive
   impact on the

>quality   of   =   patient   care   and   the  efficiency  of  the
   HT/HTLâ€™s impact on

>= ;labs?â€�

>

>I'm  not sure but...this fallâ€¦ = when I complete my NAACLS
   accredited

>degree  program, and voluntar= ily take the ASCP HTL certification
   exam,

>my future employer will= be able to expect a certain level of

>competency that I hope to h= ave established through training and

>certification.

>

>Rick T.

>

>______________________________________= _________

>Histonet mailing list

>[5]Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu

&= gt;[6]ht   tp://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet

>
   = 
>

>

>

>________________________________

>

>From: Rick Tiefenauer <[7]gonavy2003 <@t> gmail.com>

>To: [8]histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
   = 
>Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2012 12:52 PM

>Subject: Re: [Histon= et] Unregistered techs

>

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References

   1. 3D"mailto:techmana12 <@t> yahoo   2. 3D"mailto:histotalk <@t> yahoo.com"
   3. 3D"mailto:Histonet   4. ="mailto:histotalk <@t> yahoo.com"
   5. 3D"mailto:Histo   6. 3D"http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet"
   7. 3D"mailto:gonavy2003 <@t> g   8. 3D"mailto:hist   9. file://localhost/tmp/3D"mailt  10. 3D"http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histo  11. 3D"mailto:Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu"
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