ASAR Return to Clinical Practice Policy Guidelines

The following guidelines have been developed as a pathway for any AMS who wishes to re-enter the Register and who has been absent for 3 years or more.

Definitions:

‘Register’

means the Register of accredited sonographers

‘Clinical assessment’

means a 3-month workplace clinical assessment

‘Supervisor’

means the appointed clinical supervisor or senior sonographer supervising the applicant

Clinical experience equivalent to 6 months full-time during the last 3 years:

For those people such as an AMS who has been deactivated from the Register for three years or more (eg: on travel or work overseas or working in public hospital and do not need ASAR membership during this time) and wants to return to the ASAR Register.

If the sonographer can show 6 months equivalent full-time clinical practice during the last 3-year period (for example, experience gained overseas) and can provide suitable evidence of their clinical practice during this time (eg letter from employer, VAT form), then re-entry on to the register is permitted using the Reactivation form (available from the ASAR website).

The Reactivation form together with required documentation and fee should be submitted to ASAR for an AMS to become reactivated.

Clinical experience less than 6 months full-time equivalent during the last 3 years:

For those people such as an AMS who has been deactivated from the Register for 3 years or more (eg: on travel) and wants to return to the ASAR Register OR for new applicants who are otherwise eligible for Category 1A/1B/1C/3

If the sonographer cannot show atleast 6 months full-time equivalent clinical experience in the last 3 years, then the sonographer must undergo clinical assessment in order to gain re-entry/entry on to the Register. This clinical assessment should be performed within the prospective work place by the supervisor (if possible) and be successfully completed within 3 months of gaining employment and applying to the Register.

During this assessment period, the sonographer will be listed on the Register as a Provisional Student Sonographer.

The clinical assessment form (available from the ASAR office, on application) must be completed by the supervisor and returned to ASAR within this 3 month timeframe to enable entry on to the Register.

A sonographer with a successful clinical assessment will be placed on the Register as an AMS. If the assessment is below standard then the sonographer must enrol in and successfully complete an ASAR-approved Return to Clinical Practice program.

Workplace assessment forms are available from the ASAR office on application.

Inactive in clinical ultrasound practice for 5 years or more

For those people such as an AMS who has been deactivated from the Register for 5 years or more or inactive in clinical ultrasound practice for 5 years or more but otherwise eligible for AMS status (ie hold an accredited qualification), the sonographer must enrol in an ASAR-approved Return to Clinical Practice program followed by a clinical assessment.

Information on ASAR-approved Return to Clinical Practice programs are available from the ASAR website

The sonographer must successfully complete both the Return to Clinical Practice program and the clinical assessment in order to gain re-entry on to the Register as an AMS. This whole process should be performed within the prospective work place by the supervisor (if possible) and be successfully completed within 12 months of gaining employment and applying to the Register.

During this assessment period, the sonographer will be listed on the Register as a Provisional Student Sonographer.

Within 12 months of application, notice of successful completion of the Return to Clinical Practice program and the clinical assessment must be returned to ASAR by the supervisor to complete entry on to the register as an AMS.

Workplace assessment forms are available from the ASAR office on application.