Histologic Technician (HST)

Jefferson Campus 

Melissa Freeman, Program Coordinator/Advisor 
George Layton Building, room 223
(205) 856-6031 • melissa.freeman@jeffersonstate.edu

M. Lamar Jones, Education Coordinator/Advisor 
George Layton Building, room 220
(205) 856-6055 • marvin.jones@jeffersonstate.edu

This program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) and is designed to prepare students for entry into a career as a Histology Technician at the intermediate level of education. Graduates of the program are qualified to perform general laboratory procedures in hospital laboratories and other medical facilities such as physicians’ offices, clinics, and research laboratories. Upon completion of the program, graduates are eligible to take the national certification examination of the American Society of Clinical Pathologists and earn the HT (ASCP) designation. Conferment of the Associate in Applied Science Degree is not contingent upon graduate passing external certification or licensure examinations.

The curriculum consists of a core of general education courses and a sequence of histology courses and experiences. Students study basic theory and techniques online as well as in the student laboratory located on campus before spending the final semester of the program in a clinical rotation. We have received clinical commitments from the following affiliates:

• Auburn University Department of Veterinary Medicine – Auburn, AL
• Baptist Medical Center South – Montgomery AL
• Baptist Health Princeton Hospital – Birmingham, AL
• Children’s Hospital – Birmingham, AL
• Cunningham Pathology – Birmingham, AL
• DCH Regional Medical Center – Tuscaloosa, AL
• Grandview Medical Center – Birmingham, AL
• Healthcare Authority (Huntsville Hospital) – Huntsville, AL
• Healthcare Authority of the City of Anniston (Regional Medical Center) – Anniston, AL
• Laboratory Corporation of America – Birmingham, AL
• Red Mountain Pathology – Birmingham, AL
• Skin Diagnostics Group – Birmingham, AL
• Skin Pathology – Birmingham, AL
• Southern Research Institute – Birmingham, AL
• TriState Dermatopathology – Jasper, AL
• UAB Hospital – Birmingham, AL

All HST courses and clinical experiences are taught and supervised by certified histotechnologist and histotechnicians.

Admission Requirements

Students are admitted to the HST Program based on the number of places available for clinical experience at affiliated clinical laboratories. To be considered for admission, students must have a grade point average of 2.5 on prerequisite general education courses required for admission (ENG 101, math elective** MTH 100 or higher-level math course, science elective BIO 201, and CHM 104). **MTH 110 and 116 will not fulfill this requirement. Eligible students may request implementation of the college Academic Bankruptcy policy or the Health-Related Programs Academic Forfeit Policy. Students should consult the pre-nursing and allied health-related advisor in Enrollment Services for information regarding these policies. Students must complete the required general education courses prior to the program admission date. Grade point averages, course achievement, and/or overall academic record may be used to rank students for available spaces in each class. Students who have failed two or more courses in another HT program are ineligible for HT transfer credit but may apply to the program as a new student.

New HST cohorts begin each fall semester. Students should consult with the pre-program advisor well in advance of the admission date for advisement and complete details of admission requirements. Full-time students may complete the program, including all general education requirements, in five semesters.

Students admitted to the program are expected to have and maintain satisfactory levels of health, including freedom from chemical dependency and communicable diseases. Students must be able to participate fully in the approved program of classroom studies as well as in campus and clinical laboratory learning experiences and assignments. Medical examination forms, documenting satisfactory levels of health, must be submitted as required. Students must test negative for drugs and alcohol during a screening conducted on campus prior to assignment for clinical experience. Random drug and alcohol screening may be required during the clinical rotation. A background screen will also be required prior to assignment for clinical experiences. Student background checks must reveal a “crime free” status for the last seven years. The cost of drug and background screening must be paid by the student.

In the interest of maintaining safety, applicants possessing certain limitations may be requested to demonstrate abilities to perform laboratory procedures or skills safely, effectively, and without potential endangerment to themselves, faculty, other health care workers, or health care consumers. Students who are unable to demonstrate abilities to perform procedures or skills safely, effectively, and without potential endangerment may be denied admission or progression in the program. The Histologic Technician Program Coordinator and the Division of Health-Related Programs Associate Dean will make final determinations regarding applicants’ eligibility for participation in program activities. The technical performance standards for the HST Program are stated below:

The accrediting agency for the Histologic Technician Program, National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), mandates that students be informed of essential functions necessary to perform activities related to the profession and practice of histotechnology.

The following is a listing of the types of skills usually required for job performance.

1. Motor Skill
   1. Sufficient motor function to execute movements required to perform necessary tasks in a laboratory setting and to perform necessary procedures to patients both in-house and in an ambulatory setting.
      1. Manipulate equipment to perform procedures.
      2. Lift and transport containers weighing up to 25 pounds.
      3. Ability to organize and manage laboratory inventory including the processing and dispersing of laboratory supplies and reagents.
   2. Sufficient physical endurance to participate fully in the clinical and academic settings at an appropriate level.
      1. Participate completely in classroom activities.
      2. Participate fully in required activities in clinical settings including extended periods of sitting, standing, and lifting laboratory equipment.
2. Sensory
   1. Hearing sufficient to assess health needs.
      1. Hear and identify an alarm on a clock or laboratory instrument and respond in an appropriate manner.
      2. Hear a cry for help or sounds of distress.
   2. Vision sufficient for assessment necessary to deliver appropriate care.
      1. Accurately interpret non-verbal communications.
      2. Read the scales on pipettes and syringes in order to make necessary dilutions and to calibrate instrumentation.
      3. See a change in color that is necessary for interpretation of a laboratory procedure.
      4. Ability to see adequately when using a microscope so that all cellular detail is clearly visible.
      5. Ability to see and interpret miller disks and micrometers microscopically.
   3. Sense of touch sufficient to perform a lab procedure requiring fine motor skills needed to pick up slides and coverslips.
3. Cognitive
   1. Ability to measure, calculate, reason, analyze, integrate, and synthesize information
      1. Apply information, evaluate the meaning of data, and engage in critical thinking in the classroom and clinical setting.
      2. Apply broad class concepts to unique client situations.
      3. Concentrate to correctly perform histotechnology procedures within their scope of practice and document appropriately in the often distracting and noisy clinical setting.
      4. Make correct judgments on seeking consultation or supervision in a timely manner.
      5. Respond appropriately to constructive feedback.
4. Communication
   1. Appropriate interpersonal interaction with other students, faculty, staff, patients, family, and other professionals.
      1. Establish and maintain a professional relationship with patients and colleagues.
   2. Effective communication with others, both verbally and in writing.
      1. Explain procedures and treatments, document actions, record patient responses to treatment in a professional manner.
      2. Convey information in a clear, professional, and timely manner.
      3. Listen and respond to others in an accepting and respectful manner.
      4. Ability to make and receive phone calls from physicians and other health care professionals.
5. Professional Conduct
   1. Function effectively and adapt to circumstances including highly stressful or rapidly changing situations.
      1. Examine and change his or her behavior when it interferes with professional relationships or the academic or health care environments.
      2. Maintain mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients, colleagues, faculty, staff, and other professionals.
      3. Demonstrate emotional stability to participate fully in the clinical and academic setting at an appropriate level.
   2. Incorporate professional standards of practice into all activities.
      1. Work effectively with a team in an academic or ambulatory care setting.
      2. Use correct and appropriate grammar in written and oral communication, always being culturally sensitive and professional.
   3. Demonstrate integrity and accountability in clinical and academic settings.
      1. Complete all assignments in a timely manner while adhering to the JSCC code of ethics.
      2. Respond appropriately to constructive feedback.
   4. Present self in a professional manner in clinical and academic settings.
      1. Attend clinical following uniform policy, including appropriate hygiene with no detectable scents or odors.
      2. Wear appropriate clothing that is not distracting or offensive when in the learning environment.

Grading Scale

Letter grades for all HST courses are assigned according to the following system:
A – Excellent (90–100)
B – Good (80–89)
C – Average (75–79)
D – Poor (60–74)
F – Failure (below 60)
W – Withdrawal
WP – Withdrawal Passing
X – Incomplete
AU – Audit
RW – Required Withdrawal

No rounding of test scores is done (i.e., 78.6 is 78.6). Only the final grade is rounded: 0.5 or higher is raised to the next whole number.

A GRADE OF “C” OR BETTER IS REQUIRED FOR ALL HST COURSES.

Admission Procedure

Limited numbers of students are admitted to the program due to a specified number of clinical spaces available. Beginning cohorts are admitted each fall semester. Applications are accepted until June 1st for fall. Late applications will be accepted as space permits. Students must:

1. Complete college admission application and meet all College requirements for admission.
2. Submit official transcripts to Enrollment Services from high school and all colleges attended and request transcript evaluation before application deadline.
3. Maintain a grade point average of 2.50 or above (4.00 scale) on prerequisite general education courses used for admission (ENG 101, math elective either MTH 100, BIO 201, and CHM 104).

Progression

Uninterrupted progression through the program (without repeated withdrawals, audits, or failures) is required. Students should refer to the information on Admission Requirements for Allied Health-Related Programs published in the “Admission to the College” section of the Catalog and Student Handbook. Students whose progression is interrupted must reapply to have eligibility for readmission evaluated. Any changes in the curriculum or program policies will be applicable upon readmission. Validation of previously acquired knowledge and/or skills needed to successfully resume progression may be required, either by testing or repeated coursework. Readmission is based on available space, academic record, satisfactory level of health, successful completion of required courses, and compliance with College and professional codes of conduct. Readmission cannot be guaranteed. Students who fail an HST course (make less than a “C”) may repeat the course only once. Students who fail an HST course a second time or who fail two HST courses will not be eligible for continuation of the program. Students who have been out of progression for a period of one year or longer will not be considered for readmission but may apply as new students. Before enrolling in HST 220 and 230, students must have completed all of the required general education and prerequisite HST courses with a grade of “C” or higher and have an overall 2.00 GPA.

Jefferson State’s Histologic Technician Program faculty and clinical staff reserve the right to drop from the program any student who does not perform satisfactorily in clinical laboratory settings.