The Alabama Board of Nursing is introducing a new certification for nursing support technicians, the Alabama Daily News reported Oct. 22.
The certification will establish standardized credentials for nursing support technicians, along with uniform education and testing requirements. Currently, about 12,000 to 14,000 NSTs work in Alabama under 16 titles and skill sets, such as patient care technicians and medical technicians. Historically, these workers were not regulated by the nursing board, did not require certification and operated under the supervision of a nurse. Nurses were held accountable for any violations or infractions committed by NSTs.
The new certification will allow the nursing board to regulate and certify nursing support technicians, establish a standard skill set and shift responsibility away from nurses overseeing their work. Full implementation of the program and certification of existing NSTs is expected to take three to five years. NSTs with more than 10 years of experience will be grandfathered into the certification process and will need only to pass a competency test.