Cath Lab Digest

South Dakota’s Southeast Technical Institute ICT Program to Require iPads

Patrick Hoier, BS, RCSA, RCIS, FSICP
Invasive Cardiovascular Technology
Program Director
Southeast Technical Institute
Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Starting next year, Southeast Technical Institute’s Invasive Cardiovascular Technology program will be shifting to a “iPad Required” program.  All students will be purchasing an iPad, Bluetooth keyboard, and specific applications for use in the program. These items will be incorporated into their program fees, and financial aid will be available to cover the expenses.

We chose to switch to this format rather than a laptop-based program for various reasons, but, primarily for ease of use in a clinical setting, and for the terrific productivity and educational applications that are currently available for medical programs and invasive specific programs.
If other educators are interested, I would be more than happy to discuss this transition in more detail.  Also, if you are currently using such a format, could you please contact me so that I can ask you a few questions with regard to your experiences as well?

Patrick Hoier, BS, RCSA, RCIS, FSICP
Office phone: (605) 367-4633
Email:  patrick.hoier@southeasttech.edu

Society of Cardiovascular Professionals (SICP) RCIS Mini Review Course at TCT

Monday November, 7th, from 12:15 - 5:30pm at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California

For those who are considering sitting for the RCIS    examination, breakout sessions will be held covering the following topics:

• In-depth cardiovascular structure
• Coronary angiography through the eyes of the interventionalist
• Aortic stenosis in depth: pathology and associated hemodynamics
• Mitral regurgitation in depth: pathology and associated hemodynamics
• Special Session: In coordination with CVPath, Hands on Hearts will allow the participant to take all that was learned in the prior session and touch actual cadaver hearts with the aortic stenosis, mitral regurgitation, and coronary artery disease.

Register today at http://www.tctconference.com/

Frequently Asked Questions Addressed at the SICP Educators’ Conference

Based on minutes submitted by Lois Schaffer, MEd, RT(R), RCIS

SICP hosted its first educators’ conference in a round-table discussion format on Saturday, July 30, 2011, as part of the New England Symposium and Annual Meeting held in Quincy, Massachusetts, with 20 educators attending. The purpose of the educators’ meeting was to ascertain what the needs of the community are and how to best address them.

Patrick Hoier, BS, RCSA, RCIS, FSICP, opened the session with an overview of the schedule and the proposed SICP Guide for Invasive Program Professionals. Since not all programs had responded, Hoier asked which programs were still interested in being included and requested that they submit their information to him.

Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI)

(www.cci-online.org)

Moderated by Stephanie Ranck, RCIS, FSICP, with Douglas Passey, RCES, RCIS, FSICP, and Christine Johnson, representing CCI.

Q: Why were educators not notified that the RCIS exam changed?

A: Doug Passey agreed that there was a lack of communication about the exam changes, but CCI is committed to keeping educators in the discussion process in the future and to partner with them. CCI performs a job task analysis every couple of years. If the analysis comes back requiring changes, then the exam must be altered.

Q: If there are significant changes to the exam in the future, will CCI notify the program directors?

A: When possible, CCI will make every effort to share the results of the job task analysis with the program directors and notify them of changes in advance.

CCI has hired Christine Johnson as its new Director of Communications. She will assist with more effective and direct communication between CCI and educators. There is now an online portal for educators on the website: http://www.cci-online.org/content/for-educators that includes an e-newsletter, upcoming events, and sample letters.

The new exam matrix format was developed as a result of a recently completed job task analysis as well as in response to registrants that the old exam matrix was overwhelming and too detailed. Program directors needing more in-depth knowledge of the exam content may contact the exam chair to ask questions or may take the exam free of charge by contacting Christine Johnson (communications@cci-online.org or 800-326-0268). A separate outline that is password-protected and mounted on the educators’ page of the CCI web site should be helpful.

Q: How can we, as program directors, increase our communication with CCI?