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;
(C) Workshop – a series of meetings for intensive,
hands-on study, or discussion in a specific area of interest;
(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.