2001 Minnesota Statutes

     147C.25 Continuing education requirements. 

    Subdivision 1.    Number of required contact hours.  Two 
 years after the date of initial registration, and every two 
 years thereafter, a registrant applying for registration renewal 
 must complete a minimum of 24 contact hours of board-approved 
 continuing education in the two years preceding registration 
 renewal and attest to completion of continuing education 
 requirements by reporting to the board. 

    Subd. 2.    Approved programs.  The board shall approve 
 continuing education programs that have been approved for 
 continuing education credit by the American Association of 
 Respiratory Care or the Minnesota Society for Respiratory Care 
 or their successor organizations.  The board shall also approve 
 programs substantially related to respiratory care that are 
 sponsored by an accredited university or college, medical 
 school, state or national medical association, national medical 
 specialty society, or that are approved for continuing education 
 credit by the Minnesota board of nursing.  

    Subd. 3.    Approval of continuing education programs.  
 The board shall also approve continuing education programs that 
 do not meet the requirements of subdivision 2 but that meet the 
 following criteria: 

    (1) the program content directly relates to the practice of 
 respiratory care; 

    (2) each member of the program faculty is knowledgeable in 
 the subject matter as demonstrated by a degree from an 
 accredited education program, verifiable experience in the field 
 of respiratory care, special training in the subject matter, or 
 experience teaching in the subject area; 

    (3) the program lasts at least one contact hour; 

    (4) there are specific, measurable, written objectives, 
 consistent with the program, describing the expected outcomes 
 for the participants; and 

    (5) the program sponsor has a mechanism to verify 
 participation and maintains attendance records for three years. 

    Subd. 4.    Hospital, health care facility, or medical 
 company in-services.  Hospital, health care facility, or 
 medical company in-service programs may qualify for continuing 
 education credits provided they meet the requirements of this 
 section. 

    Subd. 5.    Accumulation of contact hours.  A registrant 
 may not apply contact hours acquired in one two-year reporting 
 period to a future continuing education reporting period.  

    Subd. 6.    Verification of continuing education credits. 
  The board shall periodically select a random sample of 
 registrants and require those registrants to supply the board 
 with evidence of having completed the continuing education to 
 which they attested.  Documentation may come directly from the 
 registrant or from state or national organizations that maintain 
 continuing education records. 

    Subd. 7.    Restriction on continuing education topics.  
 A registrant may apply no more than a combined total of eight 
 hours of continuing education in the areas of management, risk 
 management, personal growth, and educational techniques to a 
 two-year reporting period. 

    Subd. 8.    Credit for credentialing examination.  A 
 registrant may fulfill the continuing education requirements for 
 a two-year reporting period by achieving a qualifying score on 
 one of the credentialing examinations or a specialty 
 credentialing examination of the National Board for Respiratory 
 Care or another board-approved testing organization.  A 
 registrant may achieve 12 hours of continuing education credit 
 by completing a National Board for Respiratory Care or other 
 board-approved testing organization's specialty examination.  

    HIST: 1997 c 120 s 7