Iowa Administrative Code
Agency 481 - Inspections and Appeals Department
Board of Physical and Occupational Therapy
Chapter 803 - Continuing Education for Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Assistants
Rule 481-803.3 - Standards

(1) Date, location, course title, presenter(s);

(2) Number of program contact hours; and

(3) Certificate of completion or evidence of successful completion of the course provided by the course sponsor.

(1) Attending workshops, conferences, or symposiums.

(2) Accessing online training, such as viewing interactive conferences, attending webinars, or completing online training courses.

(3) Completing an American Physical Therapy Association-approved postprofessional clinical residency or fellowship. A licensee will receive 1 hour of credit for every 2 hours spent in clinical residency, up to a maximum of 20 hours. Clinical residency hours may not be used for credit if the licensee is also seeking credit hours earned for postprofessional academic coursework in the same renewal period.

(4) Directly supervising students for clinical education if the students being supervised are from an accredited physical therapist or physical therapist assistant program and are participating in a full-time clinical experience (defined as approximately 40 hours per week, ranging from 1 to 18 weeks). One hour will be awarded for every 160 contact hours of supervision. A maximum of 8 hours for a physical therapist and 4 hours for a physical therapist assistant may be awarded per biennium. The physical therapist or physical therapist assistant must have documentation from the accredited educational program indicating the number of hours spent supervising a student.

(5) Presenting professional programs that meet the criteria listed in this rule. Two hours of credit will be awarded for each hour of presentation for the first offering of the course. A course schedule or brochure must be maintained for audit.

(6) Completing academic courses that directly relate to the professional competency of the licensee. Official transcripts indicating successful completion of academic courses that apply to the field of physical therapy will be necessary in order for the licensee to receive the following continuing education credits:

1 academic semester hour = 15 continuing education hours of credit

1 academic trimester hour = 12 continuing education hours of credit

1 academic quarter hour = 10 continuing education hours of credit

(7) Teaching in an approved college, university, or graduate school. The licensee may receive the following continuing education credits on a one-time basis for the first offering of a course:

1 academic semester hour = 15 continuing education hours of credit

1 academic trimester hour = 12 continuing education hours of credit

1 academic quarter hour = 10 continuing education hours of credit

(8) Authoring research or other activities, the results of which are published in a recognized professional publication. The licensee shall receive five hours of credit per page.

(9) Participating in professional organizations related to the practice of physical therapy, with one credit hour received for each six months of active service as an officer, delegate, or committee member, for a maximum of four hours of credit per biennium. Verification of participation must be provided by the professional organization to document the continuing education credit.

(1) Business-related topics, such as marketing, time management, government regulations, and other like topics.

(2) Personal skills topics, such as career burnout, communication skills, human relations, and other like topics.

(3) General health topics, such as clinical research, CPR, mandatory reporter training, and other like topics.