Current through Register Vol. 24-18, September 15, 2024
To renew a respiratory care practitioner license, the
licensee shall acquire 30 credit hours of respiratory care continuing education
every two years as required in
RCW
18.89.140. Licensees shall meet the
continuing education requirements outlined in this section and report completed
continuing education as required in WAC
246-12-170 through
246-12-240.
(1) The following are categories of required
continuing education activities for licensed respiratory care practitioners:
(a) A minimum of 10 credit hours of
continuing education during each two-year reporting cycle must be earned in
courses approved by the American Association for Respiratory Care
(AARC).
(b) Beginning January 1,
2024, a respiratory care practitioner must complete two hours of health equity
training each reporting cycle, as specified in WAC
246-928-445.
(c) The remaining 18 hours of continuing
education during each two-year reporting cycle may be in any of the following
areas:
(i) Sponsored courses. Continuing
education courses sponsored or approved by entities listed in subsection (2) of
this section;
(ii) Certifications
and examinations. Completing professional certifications or examinations listed
in subsection (3) of this section;
(iii) Education and instruction. Completing
or instructing cour-sework as described in subsection (4) of this section;
and
(iv) Related studies.
Completing up to 10 hours per reporting cycle of activities listed in
subsection (5) of this section.
(2) Sponsored courses. Eligible courses are
sponsored or approved by the:
(a) American
Academy of Pediatrics;
(b) American
Academy of Physician Assistants;
(c) American Association of Critical Care
Nurses;
(d) American Association
for Respiratory Care;
(e) American
College of Chest Physicians;
(f)
American College of Emergency Physicians;
(g) American College of Physicians;
(h) American Medical Association;
(i) American Nurses Association;
(j) American Osteopathic
Association;
(k) American Thoracic
Society;
(l) Society of Critical
Care Medicine;
(m) Washington
academy of physician assistants;
(n) Washington osteopathic medicine
association;
(o) Washington state
medical association;
(p) Washington
state nurses association;
(q)
Extracorporeal life support organization; or
(r) American Society of Extracorporeal
Technology.
(3)
Certifications and examinations. The following certifications and examinations
are valid for continuing education credit:
(a)
Ten credit hours each may be claimed for the following initial or renewal
certifications:
(i) Advanced cardiac life
support (also known as ACLS);
(ii)
Neonatal advanced life support (also known as NALS, or neonatal resuscitation
program or NRP); and
(iii)
Pediatric advanced life support (also known as PALS).
(b) Five credit hours may be claimed for
initial or renewal certification in basic life support (also known as
BLS).
(c) Ten credit hours each may
be claimed for passing either of the following National Board of Respiratory
Care (NBRC) advanced practitioner examinations:
(i) The NBRC therapist multiple-choice
examination combined with the clinical simulation examination that awards NBRC
registration; or
(ii) Registered
pulmonary function technologist.
(d) Five credit hours each may be claimed for
passing any of the following:
(i) The NBRC
therapist multiple-choice examination that awards NBRC certification;
(ii) Any NBRC specialty
examination;
(iii) The NBRC
self-assessment competency examination with a minimum score of 75; or
(iv) National Asthma Educator Certification
Board certified asthma educator examination.
(4) Education and instruction. A licensee may
claim continuing education credit for:
(a)
Courses completed at a regionally accredited college, university, or institute
of higher education. Such courses must focus on the clinical practice of
respiratory care or education related to the cardiopulmonary system. Credit
hours for such courses may be claimed as either:
(i) Actual semester contact hours (such as 15
semester contact hours shall be equal to 15 continuing education credits);
or
(ii) An academic credit formula
that multiplies the academic credits by a factor of three (such as four
academic credits shall be equal to 12 continuing education credits).
(b) Respiratory care educational
offerings provided by hospitals or health organizations.
(c) Serving as an instructor of educational
offerings in respiratory care provided by hospitals or health organizations; or
at a regionally accredited college, university, or institute of higher
education. Such educational offerings must include learning objectives. The
number of credit hours claimed for serving as an instructor shall be the same
number as those earned by attendees. The credit hours for presenting a specific
topic, lecture, or education course may only be used for continuing education
once during each reporting cycle.
(5) Related studies. Up to 10 credit hours of
continuing education during a two-year reporting cycle may be in any of the
following areas:
(a) Self-study. Journal
reading of publications related to respiratory care;
(b) Practice related topics. Formal,
internet-based, or video-format courses offered by organizations not listed in
(b) of this subsection including, but not limited to, the American Association
of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, the Association for the
Treatment of Tobacco Use and Dependence, or the Council for Tobacco Treatment
Training Programs; or
(c)
Nonclinical practice topics. Courses or activities including, but not limited
to, health promotion, health care cost management, mandatory reporting,
professional ethics, and regulatory affairs.
(6) Documentation requirements. A licensee is
responsible for acquiring and maintaining all acceptable documentation of their
continuing education activities, as required in WAC
246-12-170 through
246-12-240. Acceptable
documentation must include transcripts, letters from course instructors, or
certificates of completion or other formal certifications provided by
hospitals, course instructors, and health organizations. In all cases other
than transcripts, the documentation must show the participant's name, activity
title, number of continuing education credit hours, date(s) of activity,
instructor's name(s) and degree and the signature of the verifying individual
program sponsor.
Statutory Authority:
RCW
18.89.050(1) and
18.89.140. 01-21-136, §
246-928-442, filed 10/24/01, effective
11/24/01.
