Neurodiagnostic Technology
Lucinda Glaser Health and Medical Sciences Advisor and Articulated Programs Coordinator, Carroll University
Tabitha Althoff Program Director, Advocate Aurora Health Neurodiagnostic Technology Program
Carroll University offers an opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Neurodiagnostic Technology (NDT) through a unique partnership with Advocate Aurora Health in Milwaukee. The partnership program will lead to a Carroll Bachelor of Science degree in Neurodiagnostic Technology and prepare the student to sit for national certification through the American Board of Registration of Electroencephalographic and Evoked Potential Technologists (ABRET). Graduates of the program will be prepared to sit for certification examination and credentialing in electroencephalogram (EEG), intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) and evoked potential (EP) studies. Students complete their first two years of the program at Carroll fulfilling NDT support courses and the Pioneer Core followed by two years of courses and clinical experiences at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center with a small cohort of classmates. Advocate Aurora Health in partnership with Carroll University is currently seeking Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) accreditation for the BS in Neurodiagnostic Technology (NDT) program.
Neurodiagnostic technology professionals prepare patients for procedures, obtain medical histories, record electrical potentials, calculate results, maintain equipment, and work with specific treatment interventions. They develop rapport with patients during the recording procedure, which can last from 20 minutes for a single nerve conduction study, to 8 hours for a sleep study, to multiple-day admission for long-term monitoring. Neurodiagnostic technology professionals understand neurophysiology and recognize normal and abnormal electrical activity. They act as eyes and ears for specially trained physicians who later review and interpret the data. Considerable individual initiative, reasoning skill, and sound judgment are required for electroneurodiagnostic professionals. The most common neurodiagnostic procedures are the electroencephalogram, long-term monitoring, intraoperative neuromonitoring, the polysomnogram, evoked potential studies, and nerve conduction studies. Long-term employment prospects in this area are forecast to be excellent.
The NDT partnership program provides the approved education needed for students to be eligible to sit for their required national exam. Passing the exam is required in order to practice. Professionals must pass ABRET board exams which are recognized worldwide. There are no state licensure requirements at this time for NDT. https://www.abret.org
Entry into the hospitals’ professional phase is competitive. Acceptance of students into the professional phase of the program is determined solely by the admissions committee at the hospital. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee acceptance into the hospital phase and there are typically more applicants than seats available in the program. It is recommended that students enrolled in this program have a parallel plan in the event clinical phase admission is not attained. See the Admissions section of the catalog or contact the Health and Medical Sciences Advisor for more details.
Accepted students transitioning into the clinical phase of the program must adhere to all policies and maintain all progression standards outlined and provided by their cooperating hospital partner. See the Progression Standards section of the catalog for more details. Students in the partnership program for Neurodiagnostic Technology must adhere to the policies and requirements outlined by both Carroll University and their hospital program.