Wyo. Code R. 022-0001-5
Respiratory Care, State Board for
Chapter 5: License Renewal & Continuing Education
Effective Date: 12/29/2003 to 09/01/2010
Rule Type: Superceded Rules & Regulations
Reference Number: 022.0001.5.12292003
(a) Licenses shall expire on November 1st of each year and shall be renewable by providing the Board with the following post marked on or prior to the license expiration date:
(b) Each Licensee shall earn a minimum of eight (8) contact hours of continuing education every year, with no more than four (4) hours being CPR training.
(i) Contact hours for purposes of this section shall be the actual number of hours during which instruction was received. A minimum of fifty (50) minutes constitutes a contact hour. For academic courses, one (1) semester credit equals fifteen (15) contact hours. One (1) CEU credit is equal to ten (10) contact hours.
(ii) Continuing education activity must be completed during the twelve (12) months prior to the license expiration date. The thirty (30) day reinstatement period for renewal shall also apply to the continuing education requirement; however, any activities completed after October 31st and applied to the previous renewal period may not be reported on the next renewal application.
(iii) Excess continuing education credit hours acquired in one twelve (12) month period may not be carried forward to the next period.
(iv) Any identical course or program may be submitted for continuing education credit only once every two (2) years.
(v) The following standards shall govern acceptability of continuing education activities:
(A) These activities shall have significant intellectual or practical content, and the primary objective shall be to increase the participant's competence in the practice of respiratory care.
(B) These activities shall constitute an organized program of learning dealing with matters directly related to the clinical practice, professional responsibility or ethical obligations of respiratory care practitioners.
(C) Presenters of these activities should be experts in respiratory care. The scope of practice in these rules and regulations may be used as a basis of what knowledge and skills are acceptable to the Board as continuing education activities.
(D) Continuing education programs sponsored by the following organizations, which are germane to the profession of respiratory care, are approved by the board: Institutions approved by the Joint Review Committee for Respiratory Therapy Education, Respiratory Care Accreditation Board or other successor accreditation organizations and courses approved by the American Association for Respiratory Care, the Wyoming Society for Respiratory Care, the American Thoracic Societies, the American College of Cardiology, the American College of Chest Physicians, the American Nurses Association, the National Society for Cardiopulmonary Technologists, the American Lung Association, the American Lung Association of Wyoming, the Wyoming Heart Association, the Wyoming and American Medical Association, the Wyoming Hospital Association and Respiratory Care Journal (sponsored by the American Association of Respiratory Care).
(E) Continuing education programs not sponsored by the above organizations may be submitted for review and approval by the Board.
(F) A maximum of four (4) hours of continuing education credit may be applied to this requirement for teaching, with credit being awarded on a two-to-one ratio. For a one (1) hour presentation, the presenter will be awarded two (2) hours of continuing education credits.
(I) This includes teaching addressed to allied health professionals. Any given activity may be submitted for continuing education credit units only once.
(II) To be applicable the teaching activity must be different from the licensee’s usual and customary professional employment.
(III) Individuals employed by universities and colleges may not claim teaching credit units for conducting courses that are a part of the regular course offering of those institutions, even if those courses are offered in the evening or summer, or for individuals enrolled in a degree program or vocational technical schools.
(vi) Licensees shall attest to the number of continuing education hours completed.
(vii) Licensees shall list their continuing education activities on the form provided by the Board.
(A) In addition to the listing, the Licensees shall attach copies of any certificates of attendance, letters certifying attendance, transcripts, or any other official documents which show attendance.
(B) Proof of attendance shall contain the activity title, dates, contact hours attended, sponsor, presenter, and the name of the Licensee.
(viii) Licensees are responsible for maintaining their own continuing education documentation.
(ix) Approximately sixty (60) days prior to the renewal date the Board will send a renewal application to the address of record.
(x) Renewal applications will not be accepted more than one hundred twenty (120) days prior to the expiration date.
(xi) Renewal applications received which are postmarked after November 1st or after the next business day in cases when November 1st falls on a weekend, will not be processed and the license will expire.
(xii) Failure to receive an application for renewal from the Board does not excuse a Licensee from the requirement for renewal under the Act and these rules.
(c) The required hours of continuing education will be prorated for the first renewal of a license as follows:
(i) Issued November 1st through January 31st, eight (8) hours of continuing education are required.
(ii) Issued February 1st through April 30th, six (6) hours of continuing education are required.
(iii) Issued May 1st through July 31st, four (4) hours of continuing education are required.
(iv) Issued August 1st through October 31st, two (2) hours of continuing education are required.
Section 2. Waiver of Continuing Education Requirements. Upon written request received prior to the license expiration date, the Board may waive the continuing education requirement for renewal of a license for good cause. Good cause is hereby defined as:
(a) A severe physical or emotional hardship or other personal emergency which substantially interferes with a licensee’s ability to meet the minimum requirement of eight (8) continuing education hours prior to the deadline.
(b) A civilian called to active duty in the armed forces of the United States for a significant period of time.
Section 3. Reinstatement. An expired license may be reinstated by the Board. Request for reinstatement must be made in writing and post marked within thirty (30) calendar days of the expiration date. The applicant must submit,
the renewal application,
the eight (8) hours of continuing education which was required for renewal,
the license renewal fee, and
the reinstatement fee.
(a) A license which has been lapsed for no more than three (3) years may be reinstated by the Board. However, applicants will be required to meet all other current licensure standards in place at the time of application. Request for reinstatement must be made in writing. The applicant must submit,
(i) The renewal application,
(ii) The license renewal fee for the current period,
(iii) The reinstatement fee, and
(iv) Eight (8) contact hours of continuing education completed during the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the date of application.
(b) A license which has been lapsed for three (3) years or more may not be reinstated. The individual would be required to apply as a new applicant and may be required to take the requisite examination.
Section 5. Retired Status. Persons who are retired from active practice are exempt from the requirement for continuing education for renewal of their license. Retired persons exercising this exemption may not provide the services regulated by the Act and these Rules within the state of Wyoming except as exempted by the Act. To do so would be considered unlicensed practice. In order to qualify for the exemption, the Licensee must;
(a) Notify the Board that they have retired from active practice. The notice must be in writing and accompanied by the original wall certificate and current wallet identification cards issued by the Board.
(b) A replacement wall certificate will be issued which clearly distinguishes that the Licensee is retired.
(c) The licenses of retired persons shall expire and be renewable according to the same schedule and in the same manner as active licensees.
(d) A retired Licensee may return to active practice by completing eight (8) contact hours of continuing education during the twelve (12) months immediately proceeding the date of application.