President's Letter

Clinical Use of Uncertified Personnel

Hope you are all having a great start to 2022! As you are all aware, we are still in unprecedented circumstances which specifically effect healthcare more than any other industry and as we continue to navigate the uncertainty together, I would like to commend everyone in your vigilance, tenacity, and dedication to your very important role as allied health professionals on the front lines of patient care.

I have been given much thought towards the many hurdles we are needing to overcome, both on a grand scale as related to the pandemic and pertaining to our niche profession of anesthesia technology. I think you will all agree, that one of the most pressing issues for us as techs is the need for recognition across the spectrum of healthcare. It is almost universally known that our colleagues within the specialty both acknowledge and support our vital contributions in daily clinical practice, however, many decisions pertaining to our roles are made administratively, outside the boundaries of anesthesia. It is for this primary reason that the establishment of baseline qualifications, coupled with aggressive awareness campaigns at the national level, are needed for the continued evolution of our organization. It is with that need in mind, that our organization has decided to release to publication the first ever statement on the clinical use of uncertified personnel in the perioperative environment, of which we no longer endorse.

There remains a great number of clinically astute techs across the country who are not certified, I myself learned from individuals who fell in this category and, to this day, were some of the most knowledgeable and proficient I have worked with. However, to advance the profession to the level of recognition needed, it will be imperative that a professional baseline within our own society be established before any large progress can be made exogenously, specifically in terms of legislation, and of which can only be accomplished via certification.

As defined by Oxford languages, the world’s leading dictionary publisher, the term certification is defined as “the action or process of providing someone or something with an official document attesting to a status or level of achievement.” Such achievement is going to be the platform by which we all will be able to catapult the field into legitimacy and I hope you all will be joining me in this sentiment, as we collectively and continually embark on the continued evolution of our profession.

Society Statement by the Executive Committee - STATEMENT ON THE CLINICAL USE OF UNCERTIFIED PERSONNEL

David Foster Cer.A.T.T
ASATT President

3/7/22