Certification for the Assessment of the Fetal Nasal Bone (NB)
Nasal Bone certification for Australian operators who are licensed to perform the Nuchal Translucency scan is now available.
NEW
As of June 2022, operators can apply for NT and NB certification at the same time. Operators can only be switched on for NB once they have passed their NT certification.
Below are the criteria and requirements for Fetal Nasal Bone Certification:
- Operators must be certified in Australia to perform the 11–14 weeks first trimester Nuchal Translucency scan.
- If you complete your NB certification at the same time as your NT certification, you will be placed on a short audit and will need to submit a NB image for assessment in 6 months’ time.
- Operators who have been certified for Nasal Bone (NB) imaging in other countries and are now working in Australia are required to provide evidence of their NB certification and satisfactory audit.
- Submission of a logbook containing 3 images demonstrating the presence of the nasal bone. Images should be from 3 independent fetuses at 11–13 weeks gestation and should represent the Operators most recent work. (see Nasal Bone Image Submission Requirements below).
- Operators must agree to participate in the audit requirements for re-certification of the fetal nasal bone by submitting 1 image with their annual audit demonstrating the presence of the nasal bone. Please record beside the image, or in a PowerPoint file, if the nasal bone is present or absent.
- A one-off fee of $A108.00 (inclusive of GST) to cover the costs for Assessors and administration is charged for initial Nasal Bone certification. Payment is made through the online payment portal, see link below.
The link below details the criteria and scoring method that is used in the assessment of nasal bone images.
Nasal Bone Education
Nasal Bone Evaluation is a comprehensive educational document outlining the guidelines for nasal bone assessment, some commonly encountered problems and useful tips.
Dr Andrew McLennan has also made available his PowerPoint presentation, NB Screening that he presented at the “Fetus as a Patient” meeting in Sydney March 2009 for additional instruction and information.
To make a submission of Nasal Bone images for certification:
- Submit 3 images as specified in the image submission requirements (see below). Electronic submission of images is mandatory.
- Pay via the online form here.