Clinical training sites offer an array of benefits for students and ambulatory surgery centers: Aspiring healthcare workers earn needed hours and experience, while ASCs help build up the industry, which, in turn, provides even more high-quality care to patients in Texas.
The ambulatory surgery industry is booming, and many ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) serve as clinical training sites. This means that higher education students can come into surgery centers, gaining first-hand experiences and one-of-a-kind opportunities.
Cheryl Garmon, DNP, RN, CASC, is a Texas Ambulatory Surgery Center Society (TASCS) board member, as well as the ambulatory surgery center director for Heaton Laser and Surgery Center, which serves as one of these clinical training sites. “It’s a great experience for students and employees at the center. We really enjoy supporting the local surgical technology schools and their students.“
Through these programs, surgery centers work with local colleges to coordinate clinical dates, hours, and preceptorship. Additional logistics include an agreement between the college and the ASC, with clinical objectives, a code of conduct, a confidentiality policy, immunization status, and any other requirements deemed necessary by the ASC. As the relationship evolves, surgeons or certified surgical technologists may participate in providing lecture opportunities at the schools, as well.
Serving as a clinical training site also creates further awareness on procedures that can be done in ASCs. In return, there are those who enjoy the experience so much that they end up looking for jobs in the industry or turning to an ASC if/when they need an outpatient procedure done.
“Our surgical technology students love their ASC clinical rotation! The staff creates a pleasant, supportive, and very beneficial learning environment,” shared Brenda Korich, a professor at Tyler Junior College. “The ASCs’ highly skilled and knowledgeable staff allows our students to participate in cases that [they can] only get at these facilities.”
As TASCS works to build up the ambulatory field in Texas, this includes connecting centers that want to be clinical training sites with programs that have students needing to complete clinical hours.
“For so many reasons, every ASC should consider and embrace the opportunity to be a clinical training site. I think the partnership we have is mutually beneficial and enjoyed by our surgeons, surgical technologists, and the aspiring students,” Todd Nickel, a surgeon at Heaton Eye Associates, said. “It is a personal highlight to provide the ophthalmic surgery lecture to the students every year, and I equally enjoy the opportunity to work alongside them when they train in our operating room.”
