Welcome to the Oregon State Assembly of the Association of Surgical Technologists, Inc. Education Page


Place Your Bet's on Ortho Workshop

Our next workshop will be held in Lincoln City on Saturday April 26th, 2003. Registration begins at 7:30am. Speakers will talk about Nex Gen Total Knee, Total Hip Arthroplasty, Synthes Locking Plate Technology, Stryker Break out Session with new Technology and our Legislative Committee will bring us an update as to how our Bill is progressing.
The workshop will be held at the Shilo Inn, located at 1501 NW 40th Place, in Lincoln City. Registration for AST members is 60 dollars, non-members is 70 dollars, Students 35 dollars. Registration deadline is April 12th. For those registering after this date, please add 15 dollars to your registration. If you need a registration form, please let me know and I will be happy to mail one to you. LaDeane Heaton, chairperson of the Education and Professional Development Committee lheaton_25@yahoo.com


Guidelines for Hospital Verification

Approved hospital sponsored functions, such as in-service meetings, skills practice, videos and other health home study materials provided by the hospital.

Teaching by didactic lecture instruction is accepted. Also clinical demonstrations of equipment and procedures utilized by Surgical Technologists.

One CE credit will be awarded for each activity of 50-60 minutes in length.

Hospital orientation , CPR, annual in-service meetings, such as fire safety, hazardous material handling, bloodborne pathogen rules, etc., are not acceptable for continuing education credits.


As long as the hospital is the sponsor of the education activity, then the activity does not require prior approval, no matter the length of the program. If the surgery department arranges to have a sales rep. come in and give a presentation, then it does not require prior AST approval since the hospital is the sponsor. This would also include if the hospital/surgery department arranged to have an all day workshop and brought in several speakers. The hospital sponsorship would be evident by the Certificate of Attendance/Participation given to the attendee, since it would have the hospital name on it.

But, if the Sales Rep. approaches the hospital to arrange having a workshop at the hospital. The sponsor is the Company the Rep. works for and the hospital is just providing the facilities for the company to use. So the company would need to apply to AST for approval. You can also check with AST to see if they are a approved provider.


CE Guidelines Revised

Effective 1/1/03, the Liasion Council on Certification for the Surgical Technologist (LCC-ST) implemented a new policy regarding the certification cycle. The certification cycle has been decreased from 6 yrs. to 4 yrs. During the 4 yr. cycle, the CST will be required to earn 60 CE's. The CST/CFA will be required to earn 75 CE's, and 35 of those credits must be in category 3. For both, a maximum of 8 CE's in category 2 can be applied toward the total, category 2 credits are not mandatory.

Individuals who are currently in the 6 yr. cycle will complete that cycle and the number of required CE's does not change for the CST 80 CE's, CST/CFA 100 CE's with 30 in Category 3. Upon renewal of certification, the CST or CST/CFA will be switched to the 4 yr. cycle. A brochure of the revised CE Guidelines will be available through AST
Member Services at 1-800-637-7433; on the AST Fax on Demand at 1-888-627-8018, Document #1033; or online at www.ast.org. Be sure to click on "Education & Standards."