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. 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.