Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring certification students in the lab.

Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring (IONM)

Intraoperative Neurophysiologic Monitoring (IONM) encompasses the application of a wide variety of electrophysiological methods to monitor the functional integrity of neural structures during surgery. This certification prepares you to monitor the state of a patient's nervous system in “real-time” during surgery to improve patient safety and surgical outcomes.

Degrees & Offerings
  • Certificate
Department
College
Program Contact
Professor of Audiology, program coordinator, IONM
Department Secretary
illustration of Carver Hall

Program Details

  • Commonwealth University - Bloomsburg's IONM post-baccalaureate certificate program is aimed to bridge the gaps between the increasing demand of qualified technologists and lack of formal educational programs.
  • 33 credits - Program can be completed in one year.
  • Offered in-person and online (online students would do clinical rotations at their site of employment).
  • Our program is one of a few in the country offering IONM training - Graduates are highly sought after by various IONM providers nationwide.

Although most large academic and the majority of community hospitals now offer IONM services, there remains a shortage of qualified technologists to meet the demand. Most IONM technologists learn on the job and often have no formal curriculum to follow. Many lack suitable skills, knowledge, abilities, training, and expertise to provide IONM service effectively. Generally, technologists also lack the medical knowledge to advise the surgeon about the clinical options when surgical changes do occur.

IONM benefits for a variety of surgeries, including:

  • Neurosurgery
  • Vascular Surgery
  • ENT Surgery
  • Orthopedic Surgery
  • Cardiac Surgery
  • Interventional Radiological Procedures
  • Genitourinary Surgery
  • Other General Surgeries

Training Disciplines Include:

  • Human Functional Neuroanatomy
  • Neurodiagnostic Technology
  • Electrophysiology
  • Pathophysiology
  • Biology Base Of Human Disease
  • Neurosurgery, Spinal Surgery, Ent Surgery, Vascular Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery
  • Neuroanesthesia

Career Outlook for IONM Technologists

As a neuromonitoring technician, you will provide neurofunctional feedback and guidance during surgery to protect brain, spine and peripheral nervous systems from iatrogenic injury.

IONM technologists are employed by major hospitals as well as private companies. The nation-wide demand for qualified IONM technologists is very high. The current average salary for IONM technologists is approximately $70,000/year.

    Courses and Curriculum

    Commonwealth U - Bloomsburg is one of the few programs in the country offering IONM training. Our graduates are highly sought after by various IONM providers nationwide. This graduate-level certificate program provides a year of training (33 credit hours) for students with a bachelor's degree to pursue a career as an IONM technologist.

    • A bachelor's degree is required for admission to the certificate program. This graduate certificate program will review and consider applications from a wide variety of educational backgrounds.
    • However, to help ensure success in this certificate training, priority applicants should have had previous academic coursework in at least three of the following areas of study: anatomy, physiology, human biology, chemistry, mathematics, statistics, psychology, medical terminology, personal health, medical ethics, and applied physics for the health sciences, or similar courses.
    • This one-year certificate program (12 credit hours per semester, total 36 credit hours) will be promoted to students from undergraduate academic programs such as speech pathology and audiology, exercise science, biological and allied health sciences, nursing, psychology and medical physics..
    • Applicants who do not have the expected foundational coursework may be accepted provisionally pending completion of a program of prerequisite study incorporating three of the aforementioned areas of study.

    CMSD 650 Introduction to IONM
    CMSD 651 IONM Functional Human Neuroanatomy
    CMSD 652 Clinical Neurophysiology: Evoked Potential/Electromyography
    CMSD 654 Clinical Neurophysiology: Electroencephalography/Biophysics
    CMSD 656 IONM Cranial and Vascular Surgery
    CMSD 657 IONM Spine Surgery
    CMSD 659 IONM Instrumentation and Practical Application I
    CMSD 660 IONM Instrumentation and Practical Application II
    CMSD 661 IONM Instrumentation and Practical Application III

      Fall Spring Summer
    First
    Year
    CMSD 650
    Intro to IONM 
    CMSD 652
    Clinical Neurophysiology: Evoked Potential / Electromyography
    CMSD 657
    IONM Spine Surgery 
    CMSD 659
    IONM Instrumentation & Practical Application I

    Total = 14 credits
    CMSD 651
    IONM Functional Human Neuroanatomy 
    CMSD 654
    Clinical Neurophysiology: Electroencephalography / Physics 
    CMSD 656

    IONM Cranial and Vascular Surgery 
    CMSD 660
    IONM Instrumentation and Practical Application II

    Total = 14 credits
    CMSD 661 IONM Instrumentation and Practical Application III

    Total = 5 credits

    Bloomsburg University Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology is committed to preparing clinicians who are ready to enter the workplace. The process of learning the necessary skills for this outcome may vary student by student. The purpose of remediation is to provide students with opportunities to demonstrate knowledge and skills in both academic and clinical areas. Remediation is intended to facilitate student success and assist with progress toward meeting degree requirements.

    Both summative (final, at the conclusion of a course/program) and formative (during, periodically throughout a course/program) assessment are used in evaluating students’ progress. Students whose academic or clinical performance falls below graduate expectations will be provided with remediation opportunities as part of formative assessment.

    Students are encouraged to take advantage of remediation opportunities to avoid academic consequences such as course repeats or recommendations for dismissal from the program. Remediation may include, but is not limited to a clinical skills development plan, revision or completion of equivalent academic coursework, re-examination, or other methods as stipulated by instructional faculty and, where necessary, in conjunction with clinical staff. Students requiring remediation will complete and sign a remediation plan form which will be retained in their academic file. Remediation plans may be developed by faculty and/or clinical supervisors together with students.

    The Husky Difference

    100%
    Placement Rate for Graduates
    33 credits
    Program can be completed in one year.

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    Student Handbook

    Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring (IONM) Student Handbook

    Carver Hall

    Program Costs

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