CCAA Designation

The Certified Clinical Anesthesia Assistant (CCAA) designation is awarded by the CSRT to Anesthesia Assistants who have met all eligibility requirements including a commitment to maintaining proficiency and professionalism through continuing education (CE) and continuing professional development (CPD). To ensure all CCAA designation holders continue to meet these expectations, randomly selected CCAAs are audited yearly and are required to provide evidence of completed CE/CPD. The BCSAA and the CSRT have collaborated to develop a CCAA Audit Form to assist BCSAA members through the audit process. This form can be submitted along with accompanying proof of completion such as education certificates, journal citations and notes, PowerPoints from CE/CPD activities, screenshots or pictures of sign-in sheets, letters from a supervisor or Chief of Anesthesia confirming CE/CPD attendance, etc.

CCAA Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for the CCAA certificate, an individual must meet all of the following criteria:

  • Must have graduated from a CSRT-accredited AA education program

  • Must pass the CSRT AA exam

  • Must be a registered member or an associate member in good standing with the CSRT

    • Registered respiratory therapists (RRT) who have met the criteria to work in Canada must be registered members

    • Registered nurses (RN), Clinical Assistants, and International Medical Graduates must be associate members

  • Must have the appropriate license to practice from the individual’s Canadian provincial licensing/regulatory body

    • The license must not impose any restrictions, terms, limitations or conditions.

  • Commit to remaining a member of the CSRT, maintaining proficiency and professionalism as an anesthesia assistant, and to achieving 25 relevant continuing education credits each membership year (April 1-March 31). Continuing education activities and their respective credits are outlined in the CSRT credit tracking system.

CCAA Designation Maintenance Requirements:

  • Continue to be a member in good standing with the CSRT,

  • Maintain the appropriate license to practice as noted under the CSRT’s “CCAA Eligibility Requirements”,

  • Complete 25 relevant CPD credits each membership year (April 1-March 31) as outlined in the CSRT credit tracking system (Appendix A),

    • A maximum of 5 credits can be claimed for annual workplace certifications (e.g. WHMIS).

    • A maximum of 5 credits can be claimed for preceptorship.

    • CPD activities that the CSRT has not accredited must meet the CSRT accreditation criteria (see below).

  • Participate in the annual CCAA audit, whenever selected.

CCAA Audit Submission Requirements:

  • A log of the CPD completed during the previous membership year,

  • Evidence of completion of the professional development noted in the CPD log,

  • A list of your learning goals for the upcoming year that outlines the specific activities you plan to complete in order to achieve them.

CSRT Accreditation Criteria for CPD:

  • Must be relevant to anesthesia assistants,

  • Must be evidence-based,

  • Must have clearly articulated educational objectives indicating the intended outcomes of the education offering,

  • Must be of sufficient scope to allow participants to meet the stated educational objectives of the offering,

  • Must be delivered by a presenter with credentials relevant to the topic being presented, disclose any financial support or possible conflicts of interest,

  • Must be at least 30 minutes in length (including any pre-read, question and answer periods or post-testing),

  • Must provide documentation to participants that clearly identifies the completion of the educational offering,

  • Must provide information that is beyond entry-to-practice level unless it is being promoted as a review or refresher activity.