Kan. Admin. Regs. § 100-55-7

Current through Register Vol. 43, No. 49, December 5, 2024

Section 100-55-7 - Continuing education; license renewal

(a) Each licensee shall submit documented evidence of completion of at least 12 contact hours of continuing education since April 1 of the previous year, before or with the request for renewal.

(b) Any licensee who suffered an illness or injury that made it impossible or extremely difficult to reasonably obtain the required contact hours may be granted an extension of not more than six months.

(c) Each respiratory therapist initially licensed after September 30 and before the following March 31 shall be exempt from the continuing education required by subsection (a) for the first renewal period.

(d) A contact hour shall be 50 minutes of instruction or its equivalent.

(e) The purpose of continuing education shall be to provide evidence of continued competency in the advancing art and science of respiratory therapy. All program objectives, curricular content, presenter qualifications, and outcomes shall be subject to review. Contact hours shall be determined based on program content, outcomes, and participant involvement.

(f) Continuing education shall be acquired from the following:

(1) Offerings approved by the American association of respiratory care. Any licensee may obtain all contact hours from any continuing education offerings approved by the American association of respiratory care and its state affiliates, subject to the limitations specified in paragraphs (f)(2) through (f)(8).

(2) Seminars and symposiums. At least six contact hours shall be obtained each reporting year from seminars or symposiums that provide for direct interaction between the speakers and the participants. A seminar shall mean directed advanced study or discussion in a specific field of interest. A symposium shall mean a conference of more than a single session organized for the purpose of discussing a specific subject from various viewpoints and by various speakers.

(3) Nontraditional or alternative educational programs. A nontraditional or alternative educational program shall be defined as one that is not presented in the typical conference setting. Educational programs may be provided by any print medium or presented through the internet or other electronic medium. The licensee shall submit proof of successful completion of a test administered as part of the nontraditional or alternative educational program. A maximum of six contact hours each reporting year may be obtained from nontraditional or alternative educational programs.

(4) Clinical instruction. Clinical instruction shall mean the education and evaluation of a respiratory therapy student in the clinical setting. A maximum of three contact hours may be given for clinical instruction.

(5) Presentations of a seminar or a nontraditional or alternative program. Each licensee who presents a continuing education seminar or a nontraditional or alternative educational program shall receive two contact hours for each hour of presentation. No credit shall be granted for any subsequent presentations on the same subject content.

(6) Academic coursework. Successful completion of academic coursework shall mean obtaining a grade of at least C or the equivalent in any courses on respiratory care or other health-related field of study in a bachelor's degree program or higher educational degree program. One credit hour of academic coursework shall be equal to one contact hour of continuing education. A maximum of six contact hours may be obtained through academic coursework each reporting year.

(7) Advanced lifesaving courses. Contact hours shall be restricted to first-time attendees of advanced lifesaving courses and the associated instructor courses. Advanced lifesaving courses shall include neonatal resuscitation provider (NRP), pediatric advanced life support (PALS), neonatal advanced life support (NALS), and advanced cardiac life support (ACLS).

(8) Voluntary recredentialing. Each licensee who completes voluntary recredentialing shall receive the number of contact hours approved by the American association for respiratory care.

(g) The following shall not be eligible for continuing education credit:

(1) Learning activities in the work setting designed to assist the individual in fulfilling employer requirements, including in-service education and on-the-job training; and

(2) basic life support courses and cardiopulmonary resuscitation courses.

Kan. Admin. Regs. § 100-55-7

Authorized by K.S.A. 65-5505; implementing K.S.A. 2008 Supp. 65-5512; effective, T-88-17, July 1, 1987; effective May 1, 1988; amended Jan. 3, 1997; amended June 30, 2000; amended July 17, 2009; amended May 21, 2010.