1. (a)

   1. (1) All respiratory care practitioners licensed by the Arkansas State Medical Board in the State of Arkansas must complete twelve (12) continuing education hourly units as a condition for renewal of a license.
   2. (2) One (1) of the twelve (12) hourly units shall be on the subject of ethics/professional boundaries.
   3. (3) Each licensee will sign their renewal application verifying that they have completed said twelve (12) hours and will maintain, for a period of three (3) years, proof of the courses taken, should it be requested by the Arkansas State Medical Board for audit purposes.

2. (b) Types of acceptable continuing education. The following categories of experience will be accepted for meeting the continuing education requirements:

   1. (1) Courses completed in the techniques and application of respiratory therapy care provided through an approved respiratory care educational program;
   2. (2) Participation in programs which provide for the awarding of continuing respiratory care education, continuing education units, or equivalent credits which may be granted through national or state organizations such as the American Association for Respiratory Care, Arkansas Society for Respiratory Care, American Thoracic Society, or the American College of Chest Physicians, or their successor organizations;
   3. (3) Instruction in programs as described in subdivisions (b)(1) and (2) of this section provided such instruction is not related to one’s employment responsibilities;
   4. (4) Passage of the National Board for Respiratory Care credentialing or recredentialing examinations for the entry level practitioner or the written or clinical simulation for advanced practitioners; and
   5. (5) Any activity completed within the twelve (12) months prior to the issuance of the initial license.

3. (c) Documentation.

   1. (1) All licensed practitioners shall submit documentation of completion of continuing education experiences on such forms as the Arkansas State Medical Board shall supply, upon request by the Arkansas State Medical Board.

   2. (2) Acceptable documentation is as follows:

      1. (A) Official transcripts documenting completion of respiratory care course work;
      2. (B) A signed certificate by a program leader or instructor of the practitioner’s attendance in a program;
      3. (C) A letter from a sponsoring institution on the agency’s letterhead giving the:

4. (i) Name of the program;

   1. (ii) Location;

      1. (iii) Dates;

         1. (iv) Subjects taught; and
         2. (v) Hours of instruction; and

      2. (D) A copy of the official transcript indicating successful passage of the National Board for Respiratory Care credentialing or recredentialing examinations for the entry level practitioner or clinical simulation for advanced practitioners.

         1. (d) Continuing education credit. Continuing education credits will be awarded based on the following criteria:
   2. (1) For completed applicable respiratory care course work, five (5) continuing education units will be awarded for each semester credit or hour successfully completed;
   3. (2) For programs attended, continuing education units will be awarded as stated in the program literature or one (1) continuing education unit will be awarded for each hour of instruction;
   4. (3) For instruction, three (3) continuing education units will be awarded for each clock hour of respiratory care instruction, signed by program director;
   5. (4) For passage of the National Board for Respiratory Care credentialing or recredentialing examinations for the entry level practitioner or the written or clinical simulation for the advanced practitioner (RRT), Adult Critical Care Specialty Examination (ACCS), Certified Respiratory Therapy Sleep Disorders Specialist Examination (CRT-SDS), Registered Respiratory Therapy Sleep Disorders Specialist Examination (RRT-SDS), Neonatal/Pediatric Specialty Examination (NPS), Certified Pulmonary Function Technologist (CPFT), and Registered Pulmonary Function Technologist (RPFT), six (6) continuing education units will be awarded;
   6. (5) Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), Neonatal Advanced Life Support (NALS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP), and Sugar, Temperature, Airway, Blood work, Lab work, and Emotional support for the family (STABLE) are awarded six (6) CEUs on initial and/or recertifications; and
   7. (6) Any activity approved by the Arkansas State Respiratory Care Examining Committee.

5. (e) Failure to complete the continuing education requirement. For a practitioner who has failed to complete the requirements for continuing education as specified in this section:

   1. (1) Only active licensees may be granted up to a three-month extension at which time all requirements must be met; and
   2. (2) A practitioner may not receive another extension at the end of the new reporting period.
6. (f) Excessive continuing education credits. Credits reported to the Arkansas State Medical Board which exceed the required number as specified in this section shall not be credited to the new reporting period.
7. (g) Hardship. The Arkansas State Medical Board has considered hardship situations in formulating this section.
8. (h) The provisions of this section shall become effective January 1, 1989.

Codification Notes: “CEU” means continuing education unit.