What is NMAA?
A Nuclear Medicine Advanced Associate (NMAA) is an advanced-level nuclear medicine technologist working under the supervision of a licensed physician, who is also an authorized user of radioactive materials, to enhance patient care in the diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy environments.
The Nuclear Medicine Advanced Associate is an NMTCB, ARRT or CAMRT-certified nuclear medicine technologist who has successfully completed an advanced academic program encompassing a nationally recognized NMAA curriculum and a clinical preceptorship directed by a nuclear medicine physician, nuclear cardiologist or radiologist.
Under physician supervision, the NMAA performs patient assessment, patient management and selected nuclear medicine procedures as summarized below.
- Perform and document a comprehensive review of clinical information, such as pertinent lab work, including blood, urine and other tissue samples and pathology studies, as well as correlative imaging studies to facilitate optimal interpretation of the nuclear medicine procedure by the supervising physician.
- Perform, update, and document a 'history and physical' in the medical record, obtaining a comprehensive clinical history from the patient or medical record to optimize the clinical value of the requested nuclear medicine procedure.
- Assist the supervising physician in obtaining informed consent for invasive and therapeutic procedures, as well as procedures involving more than minimal risk, as defined by state law and institutional policy.
- Furnish adjunctive and interventional medications that enhance diagnostic imaging and therapeutic procedures, as defined by state regulations and institutional policy.
- Perform minimal sedation (anxiolysis) and moderate sedation (as defined by the American Association of Anesthesiology) under the direct supervision of an appropriately credentialed physician as determined by state law and institutional policy.
- Educate the patient undergoing invasive procedures, therapeutic procedures, and procedures involving more than minimal risk regarding pre-procedural preparation and post- procedural care, as defined by state law and institutional policy and documenting appropriately in the patient's medical record.
- Perform pre- and post-procedure assessment and monitoring in patients undergoing invasive and therapeutic procedures, as well as procedures involving more than minimal risk, as defined by state law and institutional policy.
- Under the direction of the supervising physician, perform invasive or therapeutic procedures as recognized through institutional policy and defined by state and federal law.
- Monitor and supervise cardiac exercise or pharmacologic stress testing in association with diagnostic nuclear medicine imaging procedures.
- Assess imaging procedure for quality, recommend additional views as necessary, and order additional diagnostic procedures as necessary to provide additional information to optimize the nuclear medicine procedure.
- Analyze the imaging, correlative and laboratory data provided and prepare a preliminary description of findings for the supervising physician to use when interpreting the results and formulating the written report.
- Communicate report findings in the physician's finalized and authenticated reports to the referring physician and provide necessary documentation.
The NMAA should actively participate in a practice-based improvement activities as well as facility quality assurance programs. They should be competent in overseeing compliance with all local, state, regional, and federal requirements for laboratory operations and accreditation, and provide education for technologists, students, and staff. They will be expected to participate in maintenance of certification (MOC) activities and be credentialed by the institution in which they practice.
The education of the nuclear medicine advanced associate is granted through nationally accredited academic programs offered at the master's degree level and that lead to certification through the NMTCB.
The first offering of the NMAA Exam was held in conjunction with the SNMMI Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, June 4, 2011 at 12:00 noon at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.
Four candidates sat for the NMAA Exam and are now certified Nuclear Medicine Advanced Associates.
The NMTCB is excited to announce that the 2012 administration of the NMAA Examination has been assigned to our testing company, IQT, Inc. This means that the NMAA Examination will be administered online at local testing centers. Candidates will not be required to go to Miami and sit for a paper and pencil exam. Once an application has been approved, information will be sent to the candidate that includes a list of available testing centers and instructions for registration.
The NMTCB is also pleased to announce that the NMAA Examination will now be available twice per year. Starting in 2013, the NMAA Examination will be offered in January and in July.
A candidate for examination must show documented evidence of the following:
- Active NMTCB, ARRT(N), or CAMRT(RTNM) certification -and-
- Successful completion of a recognized NMAA Education Program.
The only currently recognized NMAA Education Program is a consortium of several universities who have joined to develop and administer this program. For information, please check out the University of Arkansas For Medical Sciences website at www.uams.edu/chrp/nuclearadvanced/.
The NMAA Specialty Exam will consist of ~200 multiple choice items with a stem and 4 or 5 response choices.
The following is an abbreviated list of the content areas for the NMTCB's NMAA Specialty Exam.
- Patient Care
- Clinical Procedures
- Diagnostic and Therapeutic Pharmaceuticals
- Radiation Safety and Radiobiology in Clinical Practice
Click here to see the more detailed exam
content outline.
- Certification must be renewed annually AND the NMAA Certificant must consistently maintain NMTCB (CNMT) certification and/or ARRT(N) and/or CMART nuclear medicine credentials either as "Active", "in compliance" or "in good standing".
- NMAA Certification is valid for up to 7 years as is consistent for all NMTCB Specialty Exams. After 7 years, recertification will be required. Specific recertification requirements are in the process of being developed. They may or may not include a recertification examination.
- Biennial Continuing Education Requirements:
- 24 standard continuing education hours as defined in the NMTCB CE Policy; PLUS
- 24 Category A+ and/or American Medical Association (AMA) approved CME continuing education hours.