Current through September 24, 2024
Continuing Competence. On January 1, 2003, the Board shall
begin to notify applicants for renewal of continuing competence requirements as
provided in T.C.A. §
63-13-304(6). The
Board shall require each licensed physical therapist and physical therapist
assistant to participate in a minimum number of experiences to promote
continuing competence for the twenty - four (24) months that precede the
licensure renewal month. Beginning January 1, 2005, all applicants for
licensure, renewal of license, reactivation of license, or reinstatement of
license must demonstrate competency.
(1) The requirements for continuing
competence are defined as planned learning experiences which occur beyond the
entry level educational requirements for physical therapists and physical
therapist assistants. Content of the experience must relate to physical therapy
whether the subject is intervention, examination, research, documentation,
education, management, or some other content area. The purpose of this
requirement is to assist in assuring safe and effective practices in the
provision of physical therapy services to the citizens of Tennessee.
(2) For applicants approved for initial
licensure by examination, successfully completing the requirements of Rules
1150-01-.04, .05, and .08, as applicable, shall be considered proof of
sufficient competence to constitute compliance with this rule for the initial
period of licensure except for the ethics and jurisprudence education
requirements of paragraph (4). Applicants approved for initial licensure by
examination must successfully complete four (4) hours of ethics and
jurisprudence education during their initial period of licensure
(3) Twenty-four (24) Month Requirement -
Continuing competence credit is awarded for the clock hours spent in an
activity as provided in paragraphs (5) and (6). Except as provided in paragraph
(4), all required hours may be met through Class I activities. Except as
provided in paragraph (4), any Class I activity without a stated maximum number
of hours may be used to accrue all required hours.
(a) Physical Therapist - Thirty (30) hours
are required for the twenty-four (24) months that precede the licensure renewal
month.
1. At least twenty (20) hours of the
thirty (30) hour requirement must be from Class I activities as provided in
paragraph (5).
2. Up to ten (10) of
the thirty (30) hour requirement may be from Class II activities as provided in
paragraph (6).
(b)
Physical Therapist Assistant - Twenty (20) hours are required for the
twenty-four (24) months that precede the licensure renewal month.
1. At least ten (10) hours of the twenty (20)
hour requirement must be from Class I activities as provided in paragraph
(5).
2. Up to ten (10) hours of the
twenty (20) hour requirement may be from Class II activities as provided in
paragraph (6).
(4) Four (4) of the hours required in parts
(3) (a) 1. and (3) (b) 1. consist of ethics and jurisprudence education
courses. These four (4) hours are required every other twenty-four (24) month
period.
(a) Ethics and Jurisprudence - The
Tennessee Physical Therapy Association (TPTA) is the sole approval entity for
ethics and jurisprudence courses. All ethics and jurisprudence courses approved
by the TPTA shall be deemed approved by the Board. Any ethics and jurisprudence
course not approved by the TPTA will fail to meet the requirements of this
rule. The TPTA shall only approve courses that are a minimum of two (2) hours
each in duration. They shall be Class I continuing competence as provided in
paragraph (5), and shall as a minimum include education in:
1. Ethics:
(i) APTA Code of Ethics;
(ii) APTA Guide for Professional
Conduct;
(iii) APTA Standards for
Ethical Conduct for the Physical Therapist Assistant;
(iv) APTA Guide for Conduct of the Physical
Therapist Assistant;
(v) Model for
ethical decision making; and
(vi)
Case analysis.
2.
Jurisprudence:
(i) The Occupational and
Physical Therapy Practice Act (Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 63, Chapter 13,
Parts 1 and 3);
(ii) General Rules
Governing the Practice of Physical Therapy (Official Compilation, Rules and
Regulations, Chapter 1150-01);
(iii) Board of Physical Therapy Policy
Statements;
(iv) Licensure
process;
(v) Scope of
practice;
(vi) Licensure
renewal;
(vii) Disclosures to
patients;
(viii) Offenses that may
lead to disciplinary action;
(ix)
Supervision of Physical Therapist Assistants;
(x) Supervision of Physical Therapy assistive
personnel; and
(xi) Supervision of
others (students, volunteers).
(b) Course approval - Aside from ethics and
jurisprudence courses approved under subparagraph (a) above, the Board does not
pre-approve Class I and Class II continuing competence courses, programs, and
activities required by paragraphs (3), (5) and (6) of this rule. It is the
licensee's responsibility, using his/her professional judgment, to determine if
the courses being taken are applicable, appropriate, and meet the requirements
of this rule. However, TPTA must seek the Board's approval for offering ethics
and jurisprudence courses by submitting the following information to the
Board's office at least thirty (30) days prior to a regularly scheduled meeting
of the Board that precedes the course:
1.
Course description or outline;
2.
Names of all lecturers;
3. Brief
resume of all lecturers; and
4. How
certification of attendance is to be documented. Each course approved by TPTA
must be approved every twelve (12) months.
(5) Class I acceptable continuing competence
evidence shall be any of the following:
(a)
External peer review of practice with verification of acceptable practice by a
recognized entity, e.g., American Physical Therapy Association. Continuing
competence credit is twenty (20) hours per review with a maximum of one (1)
review each twenty-four (24) month period.
(b) Internal peer review of practice with
verification of acceptable practice. Continuing competence credit is two (2)
hours per review with a maximum of two (2) reviews during each twenty-four (24)
month period.
(c) Courses,
seminars, workshops, and symposia attended by the licensee which have been
approved for continuing education units (CEUs) by appropriate CEU granting
agencies.
(d) Courses, seminars,
workshops, and symposia attended by the licensee and approved by recognized
health-related organizations (e.g., American Physical Therapy Association,
Tennessee Physical Therapy Association, Arthritis Foundation, etc.) or
accredited physical therapy educational institutions (e.g., Chattanooga State
Technical Community College, East Tennessee State University, etc.).
(e) Home study courses or courses offered
through electronic media approved by recognized health-related organizations
(e.g., American Physical Therapy Association, Tennessee Physical Therapy
Association, Arthritis Foundation, etc.) or accredited physical therapy
educational institutions (e.g., U.T. Center for the Health Sciences, Volunteer
State Community College), and that include objectives and verification of
satisfactory completion.
(f)
University credit courses - Continuing competence credit is twelve (12) hours
per semester credit hour.
(g)
Participation as a presenter in continuing education courses, workshops,
seminars or symposia which have been approved by recognized health-related
organizations.
Continuing competence credit is based on contact hours and may
not exceed twenty (20) hours per topic.
(h) Authorship of a presented scientific
poster, scientific platform presentation or published article undergoing peer
review. Continuing competence credit is ten (10) hours per event with a maximum
of two (2) events each twenty-four (24) month period.
(i) Teaching a physical therapy or physical
therapist assistant credit course when that teaching is an adjunct
responsibility and not the primary employment. Continuing competence credit is
based on contact hours not to exceed twenty (20) hours. If the same course is
taught more than once, contact hours may only be counted once.
(j) Certification of clinical specialization
by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS). Continuing
competence credit is twenty-six (26) hours and is recognized only in the
twenty-four (24) month period in which certification or recertification is
awarded.
(k) Certification of
clinical specialization by organizations other than the ABPTS (e.g. the
McKenzie Institute, the Neuro Developmental Treatment Association, the Ola
Grimsby Institute, etc.) may be recognized as continuing competence credit for
up to twenty-six (26) hours, in the twenty-four (24) month period in which
certification or recertification is awarded. The number of continuing
competence credit hours awarded is determined by the Board.
(l) Awarding of an advanced degree from an
accredited University. Continuing competence credit is twenty-six (26) hours
and is recognized only in the twenty-four (24) month period in which the
advanced degree is awarded.
(m)
Participating in a clinical residency program. Continuing competence credit is
five (5) hours credit for each week of residency with a maximum of twenty-six
(26) hours per program.
(6) Class II acceptable continuing competence
evidence shall be any of the following
(a)
Self-instruction from reading professional literature. Continuing competence
credit is limited to a maximum of one (1) hour each twenty-four (24) month
period.
(b) Attendance at a
scientific poster session, lecture, panel or symposium that does not meet the
criteria for Class I. Continuing competence credit is one (1) hour per hour of
activity with a maximum of two (2) hours credit each twenty-four (24) month
period.
(c) Serving as a clinical
instructor for an accredited physical therapist or physical therapist assistant
educational program. Continuing competence credit is one (1) hour per sixteen
(16) contact hours with the student(s).
(d) Acting as a clinical instructor for
physical therapist participating in a residency program or as a mentor for a
learner for a formal, nonacademic mentorship. Continuing competence credit is
one (1) hour per sixteen (16) contact hours.
(e) Participating in a physical therapy study
group consisting of two (2) or more physical therapists or physical therapist
assistants. Continuing competence credit is limited to a maximum of one (1)
hour credit each twenty-four (24) month period.
(f) Attending and/or presenting in-service
programs. Continuing competence credit is one (1) hour per eight (8) contact
hours with a maximum of four (4) hours credit each twenty-four (24) month
period.
(g) Serving the physical
therapy profession as a delegate to the APTA House of Delegates, on a
professional board, committee, or task force. Continuing competence credit is
limited to a maximum of one (1) hour credit each twenty-four (24) month
period.
(7) Unacceptable
activities for continuing competence include, but are not limited to:
(a) Attending courses regarding:
1. Regulations of the United States
Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA);
2. Regulations of the
Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development's Division of
Occupational Safety and Health (TOSHA);
3. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR);
and
4. Safety;
(b) Meetings for purposes of policy
decisions;
(c) Non-educational
meetings at annual association, chapter or organization meetings;
(d) Entertainment or recreational meetings or
activities; and
(e) Visiting
exhibits.
(8)
Documentation of compliance
(a) Each licensee
must retain documentation of completion of all continuing competence
requirements of this rule for a period of five (5) years from when the
requirements were completed. This documentation must be produced for inspection
and verification, if requested in writing by the Board during its verification
process.
(b) The licensee must,
within thirty (30) days of a request from the Board, provide evidence of
continuing competence activities.
(c) Any licensee who fails to complete the
continuing competence activities or who falsely certifies completion of
continuing competence activities may be subject to disciplinary action pursuant
to T.C.A. §§
63-13-304,
63-13-312,
63-13-313, and
63-13-315.
(d) Examples of documentation
1. A signed peer review report or an official
program or outline of the course attended or taught or copy of the publication
which clearly shows that the objectives and content were related to physical
therapy and shows the number of contact hours, as appropriate. The information
also should clearly identify the licensee's responsibility in teaching or
authorship.
2. A CEU certificate or
verification of completion of home study which identifies the sponsoring
entity, or a copy of the final grade report in the case of a University credit
course(s), or specialization certificate, or proof of attendance with a copy of
the program for the other acceptable Class I or II activities, or documentation
of self-instruction from reading professional literature.
(9) Reinstatement/Reactivation of
an Expired or Retired License
(a) Expired or
retired for three (3) years or less - An individual whose license has expired
or has been retired for three (3) years or less shall submit the appropriate
application for reinstatement or reactivation, along with documentation of
continuing competence (see examples in paragraph (8)), which must have been
initiated and completed within two (2) years prior to submission of the
application for reinstatement or reactivation.
(b) Expired or retired more than three (3)
years
1. An individual whose license has
expired or has been retired for more than three (3) years shall submit the
appropriate application for reinstatement or reactivation, along with
documentation of continuing competence (see examples in paragraph (8)), which
must have been initiated and completed within two (2) years prior to submission
of the application for reinstatement or reactivation.
2. The Board may, at its discretion, require
additional education, supervised clinical practice, successful passage of
examinations, or issue a provisional license.
(10) The Board, in cases of documented
illness, disability, or other undue hardship, may waive the continuing
competence requirements and/or extend the deadline to complete continuing
competence requirements. To be considered for a waiver of continuing competence
requirements, or for an extension of the deadline to complete the continuing
competence requirements, a licensee must request such in writing with
supporting documentation before the end of the twenty-four (24) month period in
which the continuing competence requirements were not met.
Authority: T.C.A. §§
4-5-202,
4-5-204, 63-13-108,
63-13-304,
63-13-308,
63-13-309, and
63-13-311.
