Registered Congenital Cardiac Sonographer (RCCS)
Requires: Passing the one-part Congenital Cardiac Registry Examination
Who Should Apply: Professionals working in the area of pediatric and adult congenital cardiac ultrasound
Specialty Examination Fee: $350
RCCS Navigation
| Qualification Prerequisite # | Qualification Prerequisite | Supporting Documentation |
| RCCS1 | (2) years (full-time or full-time equivalent) in a Non-Invasive Cardiovascular Lab and performed a minimum of (150) adult congenital/pediatric ultrasound cases per year for the two years prior to the submission of the application. | Employment Verification Letter |
| RCCS2 | An associate degree or equivalent college hours (62 semester hours) in health, science, natural science, nursing, engineering or any primary science and one (1) year (full-time or full-time equivalent) in a Non-Invasive Cardiovascular Lab at the time of application. Must have performed a minimum of (150) adult congenital/pediatric ultrasound cases during that year. |
Completion certificate and/or educational transcript, AND Employment Verification Letter |
| RCCS3 | A baccalaureate degree in health, science, natural science, nursing, engineering or any primary science and six (6) months(full-time or full-time equivalent) in a Non-Invasive Cardiovascular Lab and performed a minimum of (150) adult congenital/pediatric ultrasound cases at the time of application. |
Completion certificate and/or educational transcripts, AND Employment Verification Letter. |
| RCCS4 | A graduate of an accredited program in Congenital/Pediatric Cardiovascular Ultrasound. ** |
Completion certificate and/or transcripts, AND Student Verification Letter |
| RCCS5 | A graduate of a NON-programmatically accredited program in Congenital/ Pediatric Cardiovascular Ultrasound which has a minimum of one (1) year of specialty training and includes a minimum of 800 clinical hours in the in the specialty in which the exam is being requested. |
Completion certificate and/or educational transcripts. PLUS Student Verification Letter. PLUS |
* IMPORTANT: If an individual’s clinical hours were obtained after graduation or if the hours are not a requirement for their educational program, then those hours WOULD NOT count toward the 800 hour minimum under qualification RCCS5.
** An accredited program is accredited by an agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), United States Department of Education (USDOE) or Canadian Medical Association (CMA), that specifically conducts programmatic accreditation for cardiovascular technology, diagnostic cardiac sonography, or vascular technology.
Click here for sample Employment Verification Letter, Student Verification Letter and Clinical Verification Letter.
CCI requires the Employment Verification Letter contain the following:
1) Employer’s original, official letterhead or stationery.
2) Indicate the date the letter was signed by employer/supervisor.
3) Indicate the name of the applicant.
4) Indicate full- or part-time employment.
5) Indicate the time period of employment.
6) Indicate the primary duties of applicant, related to the field of cardiovascular technology.
7) Verification of the number of ultrasound cases performed. Candidates are required to have performed a minimum of 150 cases per year for the two years prior to the submission of the application.
8) Original signature of direct supervisor, who must be an MD or hold an active RCCS, RCES, RCIS, RCS, RDCS, RDMS, RVS or RVT credential.
CCI requires the Student Verification Letter contain the following:
1) Educational program’s original, official letterhead or stationery.
2) Indicate the date the letter was signed by educational director.
3) Indicate the name of the applicant.
4) Indicate full- or part-time student.
5) Indicate the date or expected date of graduation.
6) Indicate the specialty of the educational program.
7) Original signature of the educational director.
IMPORTANT: Non-programmatically accredited educational programs, indicate the program length, program specialty (Echo or Vascular or Invasive), the number and specialty of clinical hours accrued.
CCI requires the Clinical Verification Letter contain the following:
1) Clinical Site’s original, official letterhead or stationery.
2) Indicate the date the letter was signed by the clinical supervisor.
3) Indicate the name of the applicant.
4) Indicate the number of clinical hours.
5) Indicate the time period during which the clinical hours were performed.
6) Original signature of the clinical supervisor.
IMPORTANT: If an individual’s clinical hours were obtained after graduation from their educational program, those hours WOULD NOT count toward the 800 hour minimum under qualification RCCS5.
Exam Overview Wednesday, April 07th 2010 9:47 AM
This examination matrix is provided to illustrate the general distribution of questions and the relative weight or emphasis given to a skill or content area on the examination.
Managing Workflow
Providing Patient Care
Acquiring Cardiac Images
Characterizing Cardiac Abnormalities
Processing and Communicating Preliminary Reports
TOTAL
3%
19%
36%
29%
13%
100%
The list below describes general areas of knowledge that are needed in order to perform the tasks identified. This knowledge will apply across multiple tasks.
| Duties and Tasks | % of Exam | ||
| A |
Managing Workflow |
5% | |
| 1 | Schedule Personnel and Resources | 1% | |
| 2 | Triage Incoming Orders | 2% | |
| B |
Providing Patient Care |
12% | |
| 1 | Review Indications/Chief Complaints | 2% | |
| 2 | Review Patient History | 2% | |
| 3 | Verify Patient Identity | 1% | |
| 4 | Explain Procedures | 1% | |
| 5 | Listen to Patients' Concerns | 1% | |
| 6 | Provide Patient Comfort | 1% | |
| 7 | Perform Quality Control | 1% | |
| 8 |
Perform Patient Assessment |
1% | |
| C | Acquiring Cardiac Images | 37% | |
| 1 | Prepare for Test | 3% | |
| 2 | Optimize Images | 5% | |
| 3 | Acquire Left Parasternal Images | 6% | |
| 4 | Acquire Apical Images | 5% | |
| 5 | Acquire Subcostal Images | 7% | |
| 6 | Acquire Suprasternal Images | 5% | |
| 7 | Acquire Right Parasternal Images | 3% | |
| 8 | Adapt Patient Examination | 3% | |
| D | Characterizing Cardiac Abnormalities | 35% | |
| 1 | Perform disease specific protocol | 10% | |
| 2 | Identify commonly associated lesions | 9% | |
| 3 | Identify less commonly associated lesions | 6% | |
| 4 | Assist with ICE | 1% | |
| 5 | Assist with TEE | 3% | |
| 6 | Perform stress echo | 1% | |
| 7 | Perform contrast echo | 3% | |
| 8 | Assist with epicardial echo | 1% | |
| 9 | Perform 3D echo | 1% | |
| D | Processing and Communicating Preliminary Reports | 13% | |
| 1 | Enter Patient Data | 2% | |
| 2 | Perform Calculations and Post-Processing Analysis | 7% | |
| 3 | List Findings | 1% | |
| 4 | Communicate Critical Values | 1% | |
| 5 | Perform Post Examination Communication | 2% | |
| TOTAL | 100% |
1. Persistent patency of the vessel in the fetus that connects the left pulmonary artery to the descending thoracic aorta is:
a. Coarctation
b. Truncus arteriosis
c. Patent ductus arterosis
d. Peripheral pulmonic stenosis
2. Displacement of the tricuspid valve leaflets from the annulus into the RV cavity is:
a. Tricuspid atresia
b. Tetralogy of Fallot
c. Ebstein’s anomaly
d. Eisenmenger’s syndrome
3. Cortriatriatum may result from abnormal formation of the pulmonary vein into the_____.
a. Azygous Vein
b. Left atrium
c. Coronary sinus
d. Superior vena cava
4. The Jatene procedure is indicated in what type of lesion?
a. Coarctation
b. Truncus arteriosis
c. Tetralogy of Fallot
d. D-Transposition of Great Vessels
5. Indomethacin may be indicated in the treatment of:
a. atrial septal defect
b. ventricular septal defect
c. patent ductus arteriosus
d. anomalous coronary artery
Answers
1. c 2. c 3. b 4. d 5. c
The textbooks listed below are intended as a recommended resource when preparing for examination. Any general text in cardiovascular techniques and evaluation, cardiac patient care and management and non-invasive procedures may be used. It is not necessary to use all of the texts identified. They are provided as suggestions only. CCI does not endorse nor recommend any third party review course or material.
- Echocardiography in Pediatric Heart Disease by Rebecca Snicer, Gerald R. Serwer, Samuel B Ritter
- Echocardiographic Diagnosis of Congenital Heart Disease by Lilliam M. Valdes-Cruz, Raul O. Cayre
- Moss and Adams’ Heart Disease in Infants, Children and Adolescents: Including the Fetus and Young Adult, 2 Volume Set by Hugh D Allen, David J Driscoll, Robert E Shaddy, and Timothy F Feltes (2007)
- Noninvasive Imaging of Congenital Heart Disease: Before and After Surgical Reconstruction by Alvin J., M.D. Chin and Mark A. Fogel
- Congenital Heart Disease Adult by Welton Gersony and Marlon Rosenbaum
- Congenital Heart Disease in Adults (Congenital Heart Disease in Adults (Perloff/Child)) by Joseph K. Perloff, John S. Child, and Jamil Aboulhosn
- Pediatric Echocardiography by Norman H. Silverman
- Diagnosis and Management of Adult Congenital Heart Disease by Michael A. Gatzoulis MD PhD, Gary D. Webb MD, and Piers E. F. Daubeney MA MRCP MRCPCH
- Noninvasive Imaging of Congenital Heart Disease: Before and After Surgical Reconstruction by Alvin J., M.D. Chin and Mark A. Fogel
- Guidelines and Standards for Performance of a Pediatric Echocardiogram: A Report from the Task Force of the Pediatric Council of the American Society of Echocardiography, Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography, December 2006 and www.asecho.org
- Echo in Pediatric and Adult Congenital Heart Disease, Benjamin W. Eidem, Frank Cetta, Patrick W. O’Leary
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