SECTION .0400 - CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS for license holders

21 NCAC 61 .0401 CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

(a) Upon application for license renewal, a licensee shall attest to having completed one or more of the following learning activity options during the preceding renewal cycle and be prepared to submit evidence of completion if requested by the Board:

(1) Completion of a minimum of 12 hours of Category I Continuing Education (CE) activities related to the licensee's practice of respiratory care and approved by the Board, the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) or the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). All courses and programs shall: contribute to the advancement, extension and enhancement of professional clinical skills and scientific knowledge in the practice of respiratory care; provide experiences that contain scientific integrity, relevant subject matter and course materials; and be developed and presented by persons with education and experience in the subject matter, of the program. Six contact hours shall be obtained each reporting year from workshops, panel, seminars, lectures, or symposiums that provide for direct interaction between the speakers and the participants. "Category I" Continuing Education may include any one of the following:

(A) Lecture – a discourse given for instruction before an audience or through teleconference;

(B) Panel – a presentation of a number of views by several professionals on a given subject with none of the views considered a final solution;

(D) Seminar – a directed advanced study or discussion in a specific field of interest;

(E) Symposium – a conference of more than a single session organized for the purpose of discussing a specific subject from various viewpoints and by various presenters;

(F) Distance Education – a program provided by any print medium or presented through the internet or other electronic medium that includes an independently scored test as part of the learning package. The licensee shall submit proof of successful completion of a test administered as part of the educational program. A maximum of six contact hours each reporting year may be obtained from distance education programs; and

(G) Clinical precepting – is the instruction and evaluation of a respiratory therapy student in the clinical setting. Three contact hours may be given for clinical precepting.

(2) Retake the Therapist Multiple-Choice Exam, administered by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC), and achieve a passing score as determined by the NBRC for the CRT credential or take any of the following examinations and achieve a passing score as determined by the sponsor of the examination: the Therapist Multiple-Choice Exam for Advanced Respiratory Therapists (RRT), administered by the NBRC; the Neonatal/Pediatric Respiratory Care Specialty Examination (NPS), administered by the NBRC; the Certification Examination for Entry Level Pulmonary Function Technologists (CPFT), administered by the NBRC; the Registry Examination for Advanced Pulmonary Function Technologist (RPFT), administered by the NBRC; the Sleep Disorders Specialty (SDS) exam, administered by the NBRC; Adult Critical Care Specialty (ACCS) exam, administered by the NBRC; the Registry Examination for Polysomnographic Technologist (RPSGT), administered by the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (BRPT); or the Asthma Educators Certification Examination (AE-C), administered by the National Asthma Educator Certification Board (NAECB);

(3) Completion of a Respiratory Care refresher course offered through a Respiratory Care Education program accredited by the Commission for the Accreditation of Allied Health Educational Programs;

(4) Completion of three semester hours of post-licensure respiratory care academic education leading to a baccalaureate or masters degree in Respiratory Care;

(5) Presentation of a Respiratory Care Research study at a continuing education conference; or

(6) Authoring a published Respiratory Care book or Respiratory Care article published in a medical peer review journal.

(b) The completion of certification or recertification in any of the following: Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) by the American Heart Association, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) by the American Heart Association, and Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) by the American Academy of Pediatrics, shall count for a total of five hours of continuing education for each renewal period; but no more than five hours of total credit shall be recognized for each renewal period for the completion of any such certification or recertification.

(c) A licensee shall retain supporting documentation to provide proof of completion of the option chosen in Paragraph (a) of this Rule for a period of no less than three years.

(d) A licensee shall maintain a file at his or her practice facility that contains a copy of the RCP license, a copy of a current Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) certification, a copy of advanced life support certifications, and a copy of all credentials issued by the National Board for Respiratory Care.

(e) A licensee is subject to random audit for proof of compliance with the Board's requirements for continuing education.

(f) The Board shall inform licensees of their selection for audit upon notice of license renewal or request for reinstatement. Evidence of completion of the requirements of Paragraph (a) of this Rule shall be submitted to the Board no later than 30 days of receipt of the audit notice.

(g) Failure of a licensee to meet the requirements of this Rule shall result in disciplinary action pursuant to G.S. 90-666.

(h) The Board shall charge twenty dollars ($20.00) per approved hour of CE with a maximum of one hundred and fifty dollars ($150.00) per application for providers of continuing education who apply for approval of continuing education programs.

(i) The Board may grant extensions of the continuing education requirements due to personal circumstances. The Board shall require documentation of the following circumstances surrounding the licensee's request for extension:

(1) Having served in the regular armed services of the United States at least six months of the 12 months immediately preceding the license renewal date; or

(2) Having suffered a serious or disabling illness or physical disability that prevented completion of the required number of continuing education hours during the 12 months preceding the licensee renewal date.

History Note: Authority G.S. 90-652(2)(13); 90-658; 90-660(b)(9);

Temporary Adoption Eff. October 15, 2001;

Eff. August 1, 2002;

Amended Eff. January 1, 2015; September 1, 2010; July 1, 2007; April 1, 2004;

Pursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3A, rule is necessary without substantive public interest Eff. August 22, 2015.