22 Tex. Admin. Code § 184.4 – Qualifications for Licensure

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, an individual applying for licensure must:
1. (1) submit an application on forms approved by the board;
2. (2) pay the appropriate application fee;
3. (3) certify that the applicant is mentally and physically able to function safely as a surgical assistant;
4. (4) not have a license, certification, or registration in this state or from any other licensing authority or certifying professional organization that is currently revoked, suspended, or subject to probation or other disciplinary action for cause;
5. (5) have no proceedings that have been instituted against the applicant for the restriction, cancellation, suspension, or revocation of certificate, license, or authority to practice surgical assisting in the state, Canadian province, or uniformed service of the United States in which it was issued;
6. (6) have no prosecution pending against the applicant in any state, federal, or Canadian court for any offense that under the laws of this state is a felony;
7. (7) be of good moral character;
8. (8) not have been convicted of a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude;
9. (9) not use drugs or alcohol to an extent that affects the applicant's professional competency;
10. (10) not have engaged in fraud or deceit in applying for a license;
11. (11) pass an independently evaluated surgical or first assistant examination approved by the board;
12. (12) have been awarded at least an associate's degree at a two or four year institution of higher education;
13. (13) have successfully completed an educational program as set forth in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of this paragraph;
  1. (A) A surgical assistant program accredited by Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP); or
  2. (B) a substantially equivalent program that is one of the following:
    1. (i) a medical school whereby the applicant can verify completion of basic and clinical sciences coursework;
    2. (ii) a registered nurse first assistant program that is approved by the Texas Board of Nursing for purposes of licensure as a registered nurse by; and
    3. (iii) an accredited surgical physician assistant program that is approved by the Texas Physician Assistant Board for purposes of physician assistant licensure.
  3. (C) The curriculum of an educational program listed in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of this paragraph must include at a minimum, either as a part of that curriculum or as a required prerequisite, successful completion of college level instruction in the following courses:
    1. (i) anatomy;
    2. (ii) physiology;
    3. (iii) basic pharmacology;
    4. (iv) aseptic techniques;
    5. (v) operative procedures;
    6. (vi) chemistry;
    7. (vii) microbiology; and
    8. (viii) pathophysiology.
14. (14) demonstrate to the satisfaction of the board the completion of full-time work experience performed in the United States under the direct supervision of a physician licensed in the United States consisting of at least 2,000 hours of performance as an assistant in surgical procedures for the three years preceding the date of the application;
15. (15) be currently certified by a national certifying board approved by the board; and
16. (16) submit to the board any other information the board considers necessary to evaluate the applicant's qualifications.
(b) An applicant must provide documentation that the applicant has passed a surgical or first assistant examination required for certification by one of the following certifying boards:
1. (1) American Board of Surgical Assistants;
2. (2) National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA) formerly known as Liaison Council on Certification for the Surgical Technologist (LCC-ST); or
3. (3) the National Surgical Assistant Association provided that the exam was administered on or after March 29, 2003.

Source Note:The provisions of this §184.4 adopted to be effective September 19, 2002, 27 TexReg 8771; amended to be effective March 6, 2003, 28 TexReg 1884; amended to be effective January 8, 2004, 29 TexReg 97; amended to be effective July 3, 2007, 32 TexReg 3994; amended to be effective August 10, 2008, 33 TexReg 6135.