The 2014 ASET Outstanding Educator Award: What makes an outstanding educator in the field of Neurodiagnostics?

We have extended the deadline for nominations for this prestigious award so that we may collect a sufficient number of candidates to allow for a fair selection process.  I encourage anyone working in the field of neurodiagnostics, whose life has been changed by a technologist or physician devoted to improving skills and knowledge for all, to submit a nomination for that person to receive this award. 

The ASET website has an announcement about this award right on our home page, with a link to a full explanation of the award and how to submit a nomination.  The eligibility criteria states:

The educator may be a technologist or physician with the following:

• A minimum of five years’ experience in neurodiagnostics

• Professional contributions in the area of publications, teaching/training, and/or educational development

• Demonstration of educational expertise in both national and regional society involvement, such as directing programs, providing instruction, and creating training materials

• Teaching experience in a formal neurodiagnostic program is desirable

Please note that while teaching in a formal program is “desirable” this award has gone to other worthy candidates in the past, who have not been involved in a formal education program.  So, please do not exclude a worthy person because of this criteria. 

Many of us have been very fortunate to have the support and mentoring of one special person when we began working in the field of Neurodiagnostics.  These special people are always willing to answer questions, review your records, stay after work to coach you through difficult concepts such as polarity.  These special people can be found at regional society meetings and at ASET conferences and seminars, giving presentations almost every year, to help others learn more about techniques and clinical conditions. 

If you have had such good fortune in your past, you can show your appreciation by sending in a nomination!  Here is a helpful link to get you started:
  http://www.aset.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3374

How do you clean a patient’s head after removing EEG electrodes?

Whether using paste or collodion, unless we spend some time removing dried paste or bits of collodion and gauze, the patient will leave the lab with a scalp and hair that really needs some rigorous cleaning.  We all have our own techniques for accomplishing this task.  But I feel that we owe it to the patient to do the best we can.  In the most recent ASET webinar, Adele Wirch was the presenter and she addressed the importance of patient satisfaction in health care reform, now even linked to reimbursement.  She pointed out the impact that staff can make on a patient’s impression of hospital services.  A patient who has to pick glue or paste out of her hair for days cannot think too kindly of the experience.

I recently received an e-mail from a patient who had completed a "48 hour" EEG recording.  She did not specify whether this was an ambulatory EEG or an in-patient study.  She searched the internet until she found ASET because she wanted to share her experience with removal of the glue from her hair after the test.  In her message she mentioned that the tech told her "it would take three days to get the glue out of her hair".  What surprised me was that the tech did not apparently attempt to remove some of the residual collodion.  He told her to buy nail polish remover and a fine tooth comb.  In any lab I have worked in, the techs do try to clean up the patient's head.  I also always advise using the official "collodion remover" product.  I have heard from some techs that they are under a mandate to cut cost on supplies so I wonder if this issue was behind the lack of attention to this detail when the patient was dismissed.  However, I think the patient's helpful tip is worth sharing:

Easy way to remove EEG glue

You will need:

3 ounces or more of Clear hair hydrating conditioner;

A towel large enough to go around your head;

A heat source for the towel such as a blow dryer or a microwave;

Your usual comb and brush;

Procedure:

Saturate the glued areas of the hair with the Clear conditioner. Wet the towel with hot water and wrap it around your head. Warm it with the blow dryer or in the microwave as needed. After about 30 minutes get in the shower and rinse your head with very hot water. Do not shampoo the conditioner out of your, hair rinse it out. Finger comb your hair while rinsing the conditioner out. This should remove all but maybe a tiny bit of the glue from your hair.

“I had three tiny pieces of glue left in my hair and I used my fingers to slide it down off my hair with no problem at all.”

I have thanked the patient who took the time to find me and share her tip.  Hope you all find this helpful.

Seeking Abstracts for the 2014 ASET Annual Conference!

I am currently seeking platform abstract presentations for the 2014 ASET annual conference in Asheville, North Carolina.   Platform presentations are oral presentations, with 30 minute time slots.  I recommend that the presentation not exceed 25 minutes so that there is time for questions.  There will be platform and poster abstract presentations on Aug. 21 and 22.  You do not have to provide a handout to go with your presentation, simply compose your presentation and create your slides.  There is a March 30 deadline for abstracts but this will likely be extended to give me extra time to receive them.

FAQ’s about ASET abstracts:

Q: What is the value of presenting an abstract at the ASET Annual Conference?

A:  There are many benefits.  First, let’s address the financial benefit:  it gets you free meeting registration for the day on which you present your abstract.  It also looks good on your resume or C.V.  It also gets you officially “published” since the abstracts are printed in the December issue of the ASET Neurodiagnostic Journal which is listed with the medical search engine, PubMed.  You will gain recognition and confidence.

Q: What kind of presentations can I do?
A:  You have a choice of platform or poster presentation.  Right now I really need some platform presentations, but if you really are uncomfortable with public speaking, you can opt for a poster presentation.  For a poster presentation, you will need to present your topic visually on a poster that is 4’X6’.  We ask poster presenters to put their posters up at a specific time, and be present with their posters during poster breaks to explain the poster to attendees who are interested in the topic.

Q: How do I request time or space to present an abstract?
A: There is an abstract application form on the ASET website, please just go to the “meetings” tab + annual conference + abstract and poster presentations + Download 2014 Abstract Application, or try this link: Abstract application form  Please also note that on our website, you can also access tips on how to do prepare a poster or podium abstract presentation.
In addition to the application form, you must also submit the 100-200 word synopsis of your abstract subject matter.  Please simply compose a Word document to fax to me along with the abstract form. This is what will be published in the ASET Journal and printed in the final program for the annual conference.  My fax number is 877-207-2235.

Q:  When will I find out if my abstract is accepted?  I will send out acceptance notices late in April.  The ASET Program Committee will review all abstract applications starting on April 1.  Within a month of the deadline I will contact everyone who submitted an abstract.  I will schedule a time for each podium abstract presentation at that time, and will include that in my notice to you.  You do not have to prepare a handout for an abstract, or submit the slides in advance.

If you would like to contact me directly with questions about the ASET abstracts, please send me an e-mail:    faye@aset.org

Thank you very much and I will see you in Asheville!

Neurodiagnostic Student doing research

I was recently contacted by this very ambitious student.  She is enrolled in the Bachelor's Degree in NDT program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  She is doing a research paper has an IRB.  She will be spending the next week collecting data. She has developed a short survey to help her determine the relationship between passing the Board Exams, with educational background and level of income.

Here...
She will introduce herself:

Hi my name is Deborah Chiou. I'm a student at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  I was wondering if you would be interested in participating in my research by completing this anonymous survey. It’s a research project about whether advance education will benefit board passage rates. Participation is completely voluntary.  Are you over 18 years of age? Do you have an NDT credential? If both answers are yes, please fill out this short survey.  Thank you for your help!​

And here is the link to her survey:  

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3NJTYGB

Thanks for helping!