You…Licensure…and CEU’s
Continuing education plays an important part in staying current in your career of
choice. It also becomes important to you as a respiratory care practitioner in Montana
in order to maintain your license. The Continuing Education Requirements, according
to the application process states:
“24 hours May 1 even numbered years (biennially) completed in the preceding 24
months. One continuing education unit (CE unit) is equivalent to 50 minutes in length.”
http://mt.gov/dli/rcp/licenses/rcp/lic_summary.asp
What follows is a synopsis of the CE requirements. I suggest that each of you read
and know the specific details of the Administrative rules of Montana 24-24539,
Respiratory Care Practitioners 24.213.2101, Subchapter 21, Continuing Education
Requirements.
In an abridged form, this is what it states:
• It is your sole responsibility to comply,
• Taking and passing the NBRC RRT exam will satisfy the requirements only once,
• Acceptable CE shall be relevant to the scope of practice of respiratory care,
• If documentation is improper or inadequate, you have 90 days to correct this item
or the license will expire and the renewal fee forfeited,
• A random audit is performed on a biennial basis and,
• All CE must be documented by evidence provided by instructor or organization.
There are three (4) categories of continuing education:
Category I (Institutional offerings)
• Joint Review Committee for Respiratory Therapy Education (now CoARC),
• American Association of Respiratory Care, AARC
• Montana Society for Respiratory Care, MSRC
• American Thoracic Societies, ATS,
• American College of Cardiology,
• American College of Chest Physicians,
(See law for other approved institution offerings)
Category II (CE activities that do not meet definition of Category I)
• This may include:
Seminars, workshops, conferences, in-services programs,
Correspondence courses with full documentation,
• Submitted for review by MT Board of RCP for prior approval and,
• The Board has the right to deny credit for CE units that do not receive prior
approval.
Category III (Teaching)
• Eight (8) credit units max based on report by licensee on a 2:1 ratio. (One hour
of presentation equals two awarded credits.),
• Presentation must be to allied health professionals and credits may only be
applied once , even if the talk is repeated,
• Credit units spent in preparation, if different then your professional employment,
may be submitted,
• Individuals employed by Universities or Colleges may not claim credit if part of
employment,
• The Board has the right to deny credit for CE units that do not receive prior
approval.
Category IV (Non organizational sponsored CE)
• Eight (8) credit units max based on report by licensee,
• Outline of the objectives or a reference citation for the paper, journal, videotape,
etc., germane to the profession,
• Given activity can be used only once,
• College course work germane to the profession,
o One semester hour is equal to 1.5 CE units,
o One quarter hour is equal to one CE unit,
• The Board has the right to deny credit for CE units that do not receive prior
approval.
The Montana Board for Respiratory Care has stated that ACLS and PALS can be used
for CE units. Each one is worth 10 units. Also, it can only be used every other
reporting period or once every four years. The BLS course is not a usable CE unit.
Remember if it is not a category I continuing education unit then it is best to seek prior
approval! It is suggested to contact the Board if you have any questions.
Written by: Gregory Paulauskis, PhD, RRT, RCP
MSRC House of Delegate Representative
Continuing education plays an important part in staying current in your career of
choice. It also becomes important to you as a respiratory care practitioner in Montana
in order to maintain your license. The Continuing Education Requirements, according
to the application process states:
“24 hours May 1 even numbered years (biennially) completed in the preceding 24
months. One continuing education unit (CE unit) is equivalent to 50 minutes in length.”
http://mt.gov/dli/rcp/licenses/rcp/lic_summary.asp
What follows is a synopsis of the CE requirements. I suggest that each of you read
and know the specific details of the Administrative rules of Montana 24-24539,
Respiratory Care Practitioners 24.213.2101, Subchapter 21, Continuing Education
Requirements.
In an abridged form, this is what it states:
• It is your sole responsibility to comply,
• Taking and passing the NBRC RRT exam will satisfy the requirements only once,
• Acceptable CE shall be relevant to the scope of practice of respiratory care,
• If documentation is improper or inadequate, you have 90 days to correct this item
or the license will expire and the renewal fee forfeited,
• A random audit is performed on a biennial basis and,
• All CE must be documented by evidence provided by instructor or organization.
There are three (4) categories of continuing education:
Category I (Institutional offerings)
• Joint Review Committee for Respiratory Therapy Education (now CoARC),
• American Association of Respiratory Care, AARC
• Montana Society for Respiratory Care, MSRC
• American Thoracic Societies, ATS,
• American College of Cardiology,
• American College of Chest Physicians,
(See law for other approved institution offerings)
Category II (CE activities that do not meet definition of Category I)
• This may include:
Seminars, workshops, conferences, in-services programs,
Correspondence courses with full documentation,
• Submitted for review by MT Board of RCP for prior approval and,
• The Board has the right to deny credit for CE units that do not receive prior
approval.
Category III (Teaching)
• Eight (8) credit units max based on report by licensee on a 2:1 ratio. (One hour
of presentation equals two awarded credits.),
• Presentation must be to allied health professionals and credits may only be
applied once , even if the talk is repeated,
• Credit units spent in preparation, if different then your professional employment,
may be submitted,
• Individuals employed by Universities or Colleges may not claim credit if part of
employment,
• The Board has the right to deny credit for CE units that do not receive prior
approval.
Category IV (Non organizational sponsored CE)
• Eight (8) credit units max based on report by licensee,
• Outline of the objectives or a reference citation for the paper, journal, videotape,
etc., germane to the profession,
• Given activity can be used only once,
• College course work germane to the profession,
o One semester hour is equal to 1.5 CE units,
o One quarter hour is equal to one CE unit,
• The Board has the right to deny credit for CE units that do not receive prior
approval.
The Montana Board for Respiratory Care has stated that ACLS and PALS can be used
for CE units. Each one is worth 10 units. Also, it can only be used every other
reporting period or once every four years. The BLS course is not a usable CE unit.
Remember if it is not a category I continuing education unit then it is best to seek prior
approval! It is suggested to contact the Board if you have any questions.
Written by: Gregory Paulauskis, PhD, RRT, RCP
MSRC House of Delegate Representative