Content area
Full Text
The National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel (NCA) is a voluntary, non-governmental organization that provides certification for laboratory personnel. NCA certifies approximately 3,000 individuals each year in nine different examination areas including: Clinical Laboratory Director, Clinical Laboratory Supervisor, Clinical Laboratory Scientist, Clinical Laboratory Technician, Clinical Laboratory Phlebotomist, Clinical Laboratory Specialist in Cytogenetics, Clinical Laboratory Specialist in Hematology, and Certified Laboratory Specialist in Molecular Biology. NCA also offers categorical examinations at the baccalaureate level in Chemistry, Hematology, Immunohematology, and Microbiology. NCA promotes recertification, a process by which individuals document their current competence through continuing education or through re-examination. Some of the frequently asked questions about NCA are answered in this article.
Why was NCA founded? Doesn't it confuse things to have multiple certification agencies?
NCA was founded by members of ASCLS (then ASMT) who were troubled by the fact that, in the mid 1970s, non-physician laboratory practitioners did not have control over their own certification process. In a true profession, members of that profession establish and enforce the standards for entry to practice. While ASCP played an important role in establishing educational and certification standards in the early years of the clinical laboratory, ASCLS members believed that it was time for laboratory practitioners to control their own professional practice. This level of professional autonomy is seen in established health professions including nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. In 1977, ASCLS members took the bold step of creating NCA as an independent credentialing agency in which the certification process is controlled by members of the clinical laboratory profession. The Association of Genetic Technologists (AGT) joined NCA as a sponsoring organization in 1978.
It does create confusion to have multiple certification agencies. However, NCA plays an important role in the profession of clinical laboratory science. Without NCA, clinical laboratory practitioners would be missing an essential component of professional status-control over entry into the profession. It is a tribute to the dedication, competence, and professionalism of ASCLS and AGT members that NCA has been successful in establishing and maintaining a unique place in the certification arena.
How is NCA governed?
NCA is governed by a Board of Directors composed of representatives from the sponsoring organizations (four from ASCLS and three from AGT), a public member, and...