Accreditation of Providers of Prescribed Qualifications
Sections 12 (1) and 12 (2) of the Act require the Board to prescribe the qualifications for each scope of practice the Board describes and to monitor every New Zealand education institution that the Board accredits for providing those prescribed qualifications.
The Board has prescribed a number of qualifications for the specified scopes of practice:
Diagnostic Imaging General Technologist:
Bachelor of Medical Imaging issued by the Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology (CPIT).
Bachelor of Applied Science (Medical Imaging Technology) issued by the Universal College of Learning (UCOL).
Bachelor of Health Science (Medical Imaging) issued by the Unitec Institute of Technology.
Radiation Therapist:
Bachelor of Health Science (Medical Radiation Therapy) issued by the University of Otago.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologist:
Postgraduate Diploma in Health Science (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) issued by the Unitec Institute of Technology.
Sonographer:
Postgraduate Diploma in Health Science (Ultrasound) issued by the Unitec Institute of Technology.
THE OBJECTIVES OF ACCREDITATION
The Board undertakes an accreditation process with four New Zealand educational institutions which provide the above prescribed qualification programmes to ensure graduates of those programmes have a sound knowledge and skills base to practise the relevant scope of practice within the profession of medical radiation technology, safely and effectively.
The Board requires the prescribed qualification programmes to meet the requirements for competence as set out in the Board's competency documents for each of the five gazetted scopes of practice.
PROCESS OF ACCREDITATION
The Board has a strong degree of confidence in the four New Zealand education providers who have all undergone an initial rigorous accreditation evaluation and clearly demonstrated their understanding of the Board's competency requirements for each scope of practice within the profession of medical radiation technology.
Accreditation/monitoring of the four New Zealand education providers is an ongoing process.
Any concerns raised during any component of the accreditation/monitoring process are discussed with the relevant education provider and corrective action agreed. The Board monitors any corrective actions required.
The accreditation/monitoring process is comprised of four parts:
- Submission of full course documentation
- Annual report from the education provider
- Monitoring clinical assessments
- An on-site monitoring visit
The accreditation/monitoring process is repeated on a 5-year cycle for each qualification programme.
For more detailed information on the Board's accreditation process see the link at the bottom of this page to download a copy of the Board's Accreditation of Providers of Prescribed Qualifications policy.
