CHCS - Perspectives Winter/Spring 2016

COLLEGE OF HEALTH CARE SCIENCES • 13 CHCS faculty members and students participated in a collaborative, published review of hospital credential- ing for anesthesiologist assistants. In partnership with the Florida Association of Medical Staff Services (FAMSS), they aimed to bring the best practices in hospital credentialing to the American Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants (AAAA) membership. Published in the AAAA newsletter, the article provided valuable insight into the process for which anesthesiolo- gist assistants, among other allied health professionals, are reviewed for patient care privileges in the hospital setting. The process stems from the Joint Commission Standards requiring hospitals to ensure providers are “competent to perform the privileges requested.” Provid- ers must be credentialed initially, then every two years with monitoring of practice patterns along the way. “The primary goal of medical staff members in the office is ensuring patient safety,” said Trudy Kraemer, FAMSS president. “This goal is achieved through two main objectives—verifying the accuracy of information provided to the hospital credentialing committee and ensuring the appropriateness of requested privileges.” In this review, the practitioner’s program of study plays an influential role in maintaining professional scope of practice. The opportunities NSU offers through its comprehensive training programs ensure that its graduates are credentialed to perform all of the common competencies in the provider’s field. Creden- tialing, if properly applied, can document patient care competency throughout a practitioner’s career. In keeping with the university’s core values of academic excellence and community, the College of Health Care Sciences engages key stakeholders in practice- management issues that support our students’ roles as highly skilled health care providers. Faculty members and students described the task as an “enriching experience.” The opportunity to participate in a national practice issue heightened their awareness of the advocacy and service components that contrib- ute to their development of professionalism. By work- ing alongside expert faculty members and industry leaders, CHCS students experienced the role of higher education in the implementation of research-to- practice methods. Through their leadership efforts, the students gained valuable experience toward their competency. “I was really excited when I saw our article published,” commented one CHCS student. “It was great to see that, as students, we can contribute to our profession.” Their work will also be featured at the AAAA 40th Annual Conference being held April 2–5, 2016, in Denver, Colorado, where it will be presented to the AAAA Practice Committee. Anesthesiologist assistant faculty members encourage their students to partici- pate in publication, both in scholarly research and practice editorials. These activities foster the develop- ment of their leadership skills as they master their respective clinical competencies. ■ “ It was great to see that, as students, we can contribute to our profession.” —CHCS student