Rules & Regulations of the State of Tennessee
Title 1150 - TN Boards of Occupational and Physical Therapy
Chapter 1150-01 - General Rules Governing the Practice of Physical Therapy
Section 1150-01-.04 - QUALIFICATIONS FOR LICENSURE
Universal Citation: TN Comp Rules and Regs 1150-01-.04
Current through September 24, 2024
(1) To qualify for licensure by examination, a Physical Therapist or a Physical Therapist Assistant must:
(a) Be of good moral
character; and
(b) If sitting for
the physical therapist examination, be a graduate of a school of physical
therapy accredited by CAPTE; or, if sitting for the physical therapist
assistant examination, be a graduate of a school for physical therapist
assistants accredited by CAPTE; and
(c) Pass to the satisfaction of the Board an
examination conducted by it to determine fitness for practice as a physical
therapist or physical therapist assistant.
(2) To qualify for licensure by reciprocity a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant must possess a current and unrestricted license from another U.S. jurisdiction and comply with either (a), (b) or (c) below.
(a) Credentials required for
individuals who attained certification, registration or licensure in another
state or country from July, 1995, to date:
1.
Be of good moral character;
2.
Graduate from a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant program
accredited by CAPTE and approved by the Board of Physical Therapy;
3. Pursuant to Rule 1150-01-.07, obtain
verification of licensure status from all states in which he holds or has held
a license; and
4. Candidates
qualifying for licensure by reciprocity must have passed the licensing
examination with a criterion referenced passing point.
(b) Credentials required for applicants who
attained certification, registration, or licensure in another state or country
from December 29, 1981 to July, 1995.
1. Be of
good moral character;
2. Graduate
from a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant program accredited by
CAPTE and approved by the Board of Physical Therapy;
3. Pursuant to Rule 1150-01-.07, obtain
verification of licensure status from all states in which he holds or has held
a license; and
4. Candidates
qualifying for licensure by reciprocity must have passed the licensing
examination with a minimum converted score of seventy-five (75), based on one
point five (1.5) sigma below the national mean for the examination. This
applies to the score of each individual part as well as the total
score.
(c) Credentials
required for applicants who attained certification, registration or licensure
in another state or country from July 1, 1976 to December 28, 1981:
1. Be of good moral character;
2. Graduate from a physical therapist or
physical therapist assistant program accredited by CAPTE or a physical
therapist or physical therapist assistant program approved by the American
Medical Association;
3. Pursuant to
Rule 1150-01-.07, obtain verification of licensure status from all states in
which he holds or has held a license; and
4. Candidates qualifying for licensure by
reciprocity must have passed the licensing examination with a minimum converted
score of seventy-five (75), based on one point five (1.5) sigma below the
national mean for the examination. This applies to the score of each individual
part as well as the total score.
(d) Credentials required for applicants who
were registered, certified or licensed as a PT or PTA in another state or
country prior to July 1, 1976, must comply with the applicable provisions of
T.C.A. §
63-13-307(c).
(3) Internationally Educated. In addition to meeting the requirements outlined either in Rule 1150-01-.04(1) except 1150-01-.04(1)(b), or 1150-01-.04(2) except 1150-01-.04(2)(b)2, international graduates must:
(a) Have
submitted directly to the Board's administrative office a validly issued and
error-free "Comprehensive Credential Evaluation Certificate for the Physical
Therapist" (Type 1 Certificate) from the Foreign Credentialing Commission on
Physical Therapy (FCCPT) for the purpose of evaluating and verifying that the
applicant's education is substantially equivalent to a curriculum approved by
CAPTE.
1. Submitting the "Visa Credential
Verification Certificate," also issued by the FCCPT, will not constitute
meeting this requirement.
2.
Applicants who cannot obtain a Type 1 Certificate from the FCCPT based on their
ineligibility to sit for the Test of English as a Foreign Language internet
Based Test (TOEFL iBT) must submit all other components of the Type 1
Certificate directly to the Board's administrative office, for the purpose of
evaluating and verifying that the applicant's education is substantially
equivalent to a curriculum approved by CAPTE; or
(b) Have submitted directly to the Board's
administrative office a validly issued and error-free certification from any
agency verifying that the applicant's education is substantially equivalent to
a curriculum approved by CAPTE.
1. The agency
must evaluate the curriculum in a manner similar to the FCCPT educational
credentials review.
2. The result
or outcome of the evaluation is the issuance of certification that the Board
considers to be equivalent to the "Comprehensive Credential Evaluation
Certificate for the Physical Therapist" (Type 1 Certificate) from the
FCCPT.
(c) Submit proof
of United States or Canada citizenship or evidence of being legally entitled to
live and work in the United States. Such evidence may include notarized copies
of birth certificates, naturalization papers or current visa status.
(d) Have credentials that comply with the
applicable provisions of T.C.A. §
63-13-307(d) if
the applicant was registered, certified, or licensed as a physical therapist or
physical therapist assistant in another state or country prior to July 1,
1976.
(e) After receiving written
approval from the Board regarding the credentials in subparagraph (a), have
participated in and successfully completed a Board-approved supervised clinical
practice period to provide a broad exposure to general physical therapy skills,
pursuant to guidelines approved and issued by the Board.
1. The supervised clinical practice period
shall be four hundred and eighty (480) hours and shall be accomplished at a
rate of no more than forty (40) hours or no less than ten (10) hours per
week.
2. The supervising licensed
physical therapist shall submit the evaluation form contained in the guidelines
supplied by the Board to the Board's administrative office upon completion of
the supervisory period.
3. If the
Board determines the supervised clinical period has not been successfully
completed, the Board may require additional time in supervised clinical
practice, additional coursework, and/or and oral examination.
4. Supervision provided by the applicant's
parents, spouse, former spouse, siblings, children, cousins, in-laws (present
or former), aunts, uncles, grandparents, grandchildren, stepchildren,
employees, present or former physical therapist, present or former romantic
partner, or anyone sharing the same household shall not be acceptable toward
fulfillment of licensure requirements. For the purposes of this rule, a
supervisor shall not be considered an employee of the applicant, if the only
compensation received by the supervisor consists of payments for the actual
supervisory hours.
(4) Electrophysiologic studies
(a) Applicants for licensure as a Physical
Therapist who seek to conduct diagnostic electromyography (invasive needle
study of multiple muscles for diagnosis of muscle and nerve disease), pursuant
to rule 1150-01-.02 (See Practice of Physical Therapy), while practicing must
submit to the Board's administrative office documented evidence of possessing
current ECS certification from the American Board of Physical Therapy
Specialties.
(b) Applicants for
licensure as a Physical Therapist who seek to conduct surface
electrophysiological studies (motor and sensory conduction, and somatosensory
evoked potentials), and kinesiologic studies (invasive needle study of the
muscles to determine the degree and character of a muscle during certain
movements) pursuant to rule 1150-01-.02 (See Practice of Physical Therapy),
while practicing must submit to the Board's administrative office documented
evidence of possessing the theoretical background and technical skills for safe
and competent performance of such studies.
(c) Supervision - The supervision of
applicants who seek to conduct diagnostic electromyography, surface
electrophysiological studies, and kinesiologic studies shall be consistent with
sound medical practice.
(5) In determining the qualifications of applicants for licensure as a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant, only a majority vote of the Board of Physical Therapy shall be required.
Authority: T.C.A. §§ 4-5-202, 4-5-204, 63-13-103, 63-13-108, 63-13-304, 63-13-306, and 63-13-307.
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