WSR 15-24-095 PERMANENT RULES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH [Filed November 30, 2015, 6:07 p.m., effective December 31, 2015] Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing.
Purpose: WAC 246-928-442 Continuing education, amending continuing education rules for respiratory care practitioners and repealing WAC 246-928-441.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Repealing WAC 246-928-441; and amending WAC 246-928-442.
Adopted under notice filed as WSR 15-13-131 on June 17, 2015.
A final cost-benefit analysis is available by contacting Susan Gragg, Program Manager, Department of Health, P.O. Box 47852, Olympia, WA 98504-7852, phone (360) 236-4941, fax (360) 236-2901, e-mail susan.gragg@doh.wa.gov.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 1.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 1.
Date Adopted: September 23, 2015.
John Wiesman, DrPH, MPH
Secretary
AMENDATORY SECTION (Amending WSR 01-21-136, filed 10/24/01, effective 11/24/01)
WAC 246-928-442 ((Acceptable)) Continuing education.
(((1) Continuing respiratory care education must be a minimum of ten hours of continuing respiratory care education approved by the American Association for Respiratory Care. The remaining twenty hours of continuing respiratory care education may be in any of the following:
(a) Additional courses approved by the American Association for Respiratory Care.
(b) Category I level formal in-service approved by the American Association for Respiratory Care.
(c) Courses in respiratory care approved by the American Medical Association, the American Osteopathic Association and the American Nurses Association.
(d) Initial and renewal certification courses in Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support and Neonatal Resuscitation Program.
(e) Courses in respiratory care at any accredited college.
(f) Self-study courses in respiratory care.
(g) Passing the National Board for Respiratory Care's self-assessment competency examination with a minimum score of 75. Three hours of continuing education may be applied for successful completion of this examination.
(h) Educational offerings in respiratory care which include learning objectives provided by hospitals or health organizations.
(i) Educational offerings in respiratory care which include learning objectives, where the licensee serves as the instructor subject to the limitation described in subsection (3) of this section.)) All licensed respiratory care practitioners seeking to renew their license shall acquire thirty credit hours of continuing respiratory care education every two years as required in RCW 18.89.140. Licensees shall meet the continuing education requirement outlined in this section and report such continuing education as required in chapter 246-12 WAC, Part 7.
(1) The following are categories of acceptable continuing education activities for licensed respiratory care practitioners:
(a) A minimum of ten 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) The remaining twenty hours of continuing education during each two-year reporting cycle may be in any of the following areas:
(i) Sponsored courses. Courses 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 of 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; or
(P) Washington state nurses association.
(ii) Certifications/examinations. Licensees shall only claim credit hours in this category that were obtained during the current reporting cycle.
(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);
(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 (formerly known as the registered respiratory therapist, or "RRT," examination); 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 (formerly known as the entry level, or "CRT," examination);
(II) Any NBRC specialty examination;
(III) The NBRC self-assessment competency examination with a minimum score of seventy-five; or
(IV) National Asthma Educator Certification Board certified asthma educator examination.
(iii) Educational settings.
(A) A licensee may claim 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 fifteen semester contact hours shall be equal to fifteen 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 twelve continuing education credits).
(B) A licensee may claim respiratory care educational offerings provided by hospitals or health organizations.
(C) A licensee may claim continuing education credit hours for 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.
(c) No more than ten credit hours of continuing education during a two-year reporting cycle may be in any of the following areas:
(i) Self-study. Journal reading of publications related to respiratory care;
(ii) 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
(iii) Nonclinical practice topics. Courses or activities including, but not limited to, health promotion, health care cost management, mandatory reporting, professional ethics, and regulatory affairs.
(2) Documentation. Licensees are responsible for acquiring and maintaining all acceptable documentation of their continuing education activities, as required in chapter 246-12 WAC, Part 7. Acceptable documentation shall include transcripts, letters from course instructors, or certificates of completion or other formal certifications provided by hospitals, course instructors, and health organizations((, as required in chapter 246-12 WAC, Part 7)). 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.
(((3) The licensee who prepares and presents lectures or education courses that contributes to the professional competence of a licensed respiratory care practitioner may accumulate the same number of hours obtained for continuing education purposes by attendees as determined in WAC 246-12-220. The hours for presenting a specific topic lecture or education may only be used for continuing education credit once during each renewal period.))
REPEALER
The following section of the Washington Administrative Code is repealed:
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