Meeting & Agendas

Michael Quintanilla called the meeting to order at 1:35 pm and had the attendees introduce themselves.

Pedro presented a handout that charted student responses for the Graduate Survey for Surgical Technology Education evaluating how the Surgical Technology program has prepared them during their tenure in the program. Pedro gave everyone an opportunity to review the sheet and there was some discussion on student comments about past classes and clinicals. Pedro noted that this form had been updated to ensure the flow of information and that it could be duplicated without problems in transcription. ACC will start using the following clinical sites: Scott & White in Round Rock for spring, Seton Williamson, Cedar Park Regional for summer, and North Austin Medical Center.

The Surgical Technology’s accrediting body wanted the last two cohorts of students to take The National Certification Exam. Pedro talked on the school performance report and noted that out of 26 students that took it, 24 passed. The exam has 200 questions and students have to get at least 118 questions correct to pass. It was also noted that the test scores are not available to students until they graduate and new graduates have to be certified within 6 months of graduation for employment purposes. Those employed before September 1, 2009 are grandfathered in and can continue working without certification.

Students have skills that they have to master and are tested during the semester in skills check offs. For the Readiness Exam they have to demonstrate successful scrub roles and flash sterilization. This helps prepare the students to use Autoclaves like they would in the real world. The instruments have to be sterile and students are required to take steps with Autoclaves to ensure this, so the question was raised as to whether or not Surgical Technology should make this a check off during the semester. The meeting attendees agreed that it should be. It was also noted that it would be a benefit to be able to tell the clinical sites that we teach Autoclave skills so that students, while doing clinicals, have the opportunity to witness or handle the Autoclave responsibility. The question of whether or not Surgical Technology should incorporate flash sterilization check offs was raised and Michael Quintanilla indicated that it could and it is good to know but whether or not it would actually be used in a clinical setting was doubtful.

A new, 6th Edition Curriculum has been published. Changes in this curriculum are: grouped specialties; change in total cases to 120: 80 for the first scrub and 40 for the second scrub; and there was a change to the scrub roles to increase student understanding. This requirement will start on January 1, 2013.

Before the new CST exam law took effect in Texas, students could apply at health care facilities if there was an opening. They cannot now because they must be certified before application. The Surgical Technology program is looking at how students are affected by this law and searching for solutions to the problems it causes for immediate employment. There was some discussion on how to get around this and somehow work with HR to flag their application as pending certification. Michael Quintanilla commented that managers can’t bring in students for interviews without HR involvement because they could be held liable and discussions were made as to how students can get their names out to appropriate people, i.e. Director of Surgery, etc for future consideration. One idea discussed was for students to work in Sterile Processing and be rotated into the Operating Room. It was noted that there is animosity between Sterile Processing and the Operating Room departments and students are hesitant to go that route they feel they may get stuck in Sterile Processing and not make it to the Operating Room.

There will be site visits to Austin Community College on July 12 at the Eastview Campus and July 13 at the Round Rock Campus. One focus for the site visits is to ensure that all students are getting the same opportunities and education at each campus. They will talk to Medical Directors, ACC staff, and the Advisory Committee. Pedro will send out the information to the Committee with all the details. It was noted that Dr. Tim Faulkenberry will be out of the country during that time so Pedro will look into any ways for the site visit team to speak to him around those dates. It was noted that the new curriculum should not cause any major changes for the program logistics.

The next Surgical Technology Advisory Committee meeting will be in the spring of 2013. It was noted that the advisory meetings will alternate between Eastview and Round Rock campuses each year.

The committee members took a tour of the Round Rock Campus