CARDUP is looking to fill the positions of a Cardiac Director on the CARDUP Board. We require a sonographer who is CRCS registered as well as being either a practicing Sonographer, sonography educator or work in the ultrasound industry. The positions is for a 2 year term with the option to extend at the discretion of the Board.
This is an opportunity to be involved in decisions that affect Canadian standards of sonography. The successful applicant would be required to attend a minimum of two meetings per year, communicate with other Board members by email and telephone, and be willing to assist the Board in promoting CARDUP's mandate and mission.
Successful applicants would be involved in the development of the Canadian sonography exams, the Canadian registry process and would work with many of the dynamic sonographers, educators, and administrative staff involved with CARDUP.
The successful applicant would be expected to start as the Vascular or Generalist representative at the next Board meeting in the fall of 2010.
Please submit a CV and a letter of interest to CARDUP, attention to Kathleen Foran, Executive Director.
Thank you
CARDUP Board of Directors
To obtain registry status with CARDUP, applicants must be from a CARDUP approved ultrasound educational program, challenge the CARDUP Clinical Skills Assessment and CARDUP knowledge based exams. The roll out of this policy will occur on a credential by credential basis as CARDUP knowledge based exams are available.
Window closure for the Generalist credential will be affective January 1, 2011.
As of January 1, 2011, CARDUP will no longer accept the ARDMS credential as a prerequisite to write the CARDUP Generalist Exam.
CARDUP, your Canadian diagnostic ultrasound registry body is alive and well and working for you, as a Canadian ultrasound professional, in the creation of registry exams that help to ensure entry-level competencies that meet Canadian standards.
Prior to the development of CARDUP, the only credential available to Canadian sonographers was the American credential conferred by the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography® (ARDMS®). While the ARDMS credential was widely recognized in Canada, it lacked several important criteria valued in the Canadian health care system. The first of these was a Canadian focus which ensured that the certification exam was relevant to Canadian practice. The second was a bilingual exam available to Canadians in both official languages. The third was a practical examination to ensure that registered sonographers were clinically competent when entering the Canadian workplace. CARDUP was created with the goals of being responsive to the needs of the Canadian medical community from coast to coast in both official languages and to the establishment of bilingual written and practical exams that reflect Canadian standards.
Since its formation in 2000 CARDUP has accomplished a number of its key goals. These include:
The next major project is the development of bilingual written registry exams to complement the established practical exams. This project was started in 2008 and significant progress has been made to date. This includes:
A key component in the development of the written exam is the production of a large bank of high quality examination questions referenced to the National Competency Profile for the profession. Your fellow sonographers from across Canada have been hard at work creating the exam questions and setting the format for the Generalist Sonographer (CRGS credential) exam scheduled to be administered for the first time in May, 2010 at Canadian test centres. Question writing workshops for the Cardiac registry exam have commenced and the Vascular exam will go into production at a later date.
While a select few toil over the monumental task of preparing the knowledge based exams, what can you do in the mean time? Use your Canadian ultrasound designation. CARDUP encourages you to add your Canadian credentials when signing your name to professional documents such as preliminary reports and patient’s’ charts.
So what are the Canadian designations?
CRVS Canadian registered Vascular sonographer
CRGS Canadian registered Generalist sonographer
CRCS Canadian registered Cardiac sonographer
Adding those letters to your name is an acknowledgment of everything Canadian registered sonographers have accomplished. If you are a registered sonographer practicing ultrasound in Canada, be proud of it and add the initials. One of the best ways to promote awareness of our education, our skills and our future is attaching your Canadian credentials to your name.
Sincerely,
The CARDUP Board of Directors