Section 1456.110  Continuing Education

 

a)         Continuing Education Hour Requirements

 

1)         Every renewal applicant shall complete 24 hours of Continuing Education (CE) relevant to the practice of respiratory care required during each prerenewal period.  A prerenewal period is the 24 months preceding  October 31 in the year of the renewal.

 

2)         A CE hour equals 50 minutes.  After completion of the initial CE hour, credit may be given in one-half hour increments.

 

3)         Courses that are part of the curriculum of a university, college or other educational institution shall be allotted CE credit at the rate of 15 CE hours for each semester hour or 10 CE hours for each quarter hour of school credit awarded.

 

4)         A licensee who serves as an instructor, speaker or discussion leader of a CE program will be allowed CE course credit for actual presentation time, plus actual preparation time of up to 2 hours for each hour of presentation. Preparation time shall not be allowed for presentations of the same course and will only be allowed for additional study or research.  In no case shall credit for actual time of presentation and  preparation be given for more than 12 hours during any renewal period.

 

5)         A renewal applicant is not required to comply with CE  requirements for the first renewal following the original issuance of the license.

 

6)         Respiratory Care Practitioners licensed in Illinois but residing and practicing in other states must comply with the CE  requirements set forth in this Section.

 

7)         A renewal applicant shall receive 6 continuing education hours for passage of the Advanced Practitioner, Clinical Simulation or any other NBRC examination beyond entry level. CE credit will not be granted for examinations taken more than once.

 

b)         Approved Continuing Education

 

1)         All continuing education hours must be earned by verified attendance at or participation in a program which is offered by an approved continuing education sponsor who meets the requirements set forth in subsection (c).

 

2)         Continuing education credit hours used to satisfy the CE requirements of another state may be submitted for approval for fulfillment of the CE requirements of the State of Illinois.

 

3)         Credit shall not be given for courses taken in Illinois from unapproved sponsors.

 

c)         Continuing Education Sponsors and Programs

 

1)         Approved sponsor, as used in this Section, shall mean:

 

A)        The American Association for Respiratory Care or its affiliates;

 

B)        The Illinois Society for Respiratory Care or its affiliates;

 

C)        American Medical Association or the Illinois State Medical Society or its affiliates;

 

D)        American Hospital Association or Illinois Hospital Association or its affiliates;

 

E)        Illinois Nurses Association or the American Nursing Association or its affiliates;

 

F)         American Lung Association or its affiliates;

 

G)        The American Heart Association or its affiliates; or

 

H)        Any other person, firm, association, corporation, or  group that has been approved and authorized by the Division pursuant to subsection (c)(2) of this Section upon the recommendation of the Board to coordinate and present continuing education courses or programs.

 

2)         Entities seeking a license as a CE sponsor pursuant to subsection (c)(1)(H) shall file a sponsor application, along with the required fee set forth in Section 1456.75. (State agencies, State colleges and State universities in Illinois shall be exempt from paying this fee.)  The applicant shall certify to  the following:

 

A)        That all courses and programs offered by the sponsor for CE credit will comply with the criteria in subsection (c) of this Section and all other criteria in this Section.   The applicant shall be required to submit a sample 3 hour CE program with course materials, presenter qualifications and course outline for review prior to being approved as a CE sponsor;

 

B)        That the sponsor will be responsible for verifying attendance at each course or program, and provide a certification of attendance as set forth in subsection (c)(8); and

 

C)        That upon request by the Division, the sponsor will submit such evidence as is necessary to establish compliance with this Section.  Such evidence shall be required when the Division has reason to believe that there is not full compliance with the statute and this Part and that this information is necessary to ensure compliance.

 

3)         Each sponsor shall submit by October 31 of each odd numbered year a sponsor application along with the renewal fee set forth in Section 1456.75.   With the application the sponsor shall be required to submit to the Division a list of all courses and programs offered in the prerenewal period, which includes a description, location, date and time the course was offered.

 

4)         Each CE program shall provide a mechanism for written evaluation of the program and instructor by the participants.  Such evaluation forms shall be kept for 5 years and shall be made available to the Division upon written request.

 

5)         All courses and programs shall:

 

A)        Contribute to the advancement, extension and enhancement of professional clinical skills and scientific knowledge in the practice of respiratory care;

 

B)        Provide experiences which contain scientific integrity, relevant subject matter and course materials; and

 

C)        Be developed and presented by persons with education and/or experience in the subject matter of the program.

 

6)         All programs given by approved sponsors shall be open to all licensed respiratory care practitioners and not be limited to the members of a single organization or a group and shall specify the number of CE hours that may be applied toward Illinois CE requirements for licensure renewal.

 

7)         Certificate of Attendance

 

A)        It shall be the responsibility of the sponsor to provide each participant in a program with a certificate of attendance signed by the sponsor.  The sponsor's certificate of attendance shall contain:

 

i)          The name and address of the sponsor;

 

ii)         The name and address of the participant and his/her respiratory care practitioner license number;

 

iii)        A detailed statement of the subject matter;

 

iv)        The number of hours actually attended in each topic;

 

v)         The date of the program;

 

vi)        Signature of the sponsor.

 

B)        The sponsor shall maintain these records for not less than 5 years.

 

8)         The sponsor shall be responsible for assuring verified continued attendance at each program.  No renewal applicant shall receive credit for time not actually spent attending the program.

 

9)         Upon the failure of a sponsor to comply with any of the foregoing requirements, the Division, after notice to the sponsor and hearing before and recommendation by the Board pursuant to the Administrative Hearing Rules (see 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1110) shall thereafter refuse to accept CE credit for attendance at or participation in any of that sponsor's CE programs until such time as the Division receives reasonably satisfactory assurances of compliance with this Section.

 

d)         Continuing Education Earned in Other Jurisdictions

 

1)         If a licensee has earned CE hours in another jurisdiction from a nonapproved sponsor for which he or she will be claiming credit toward full compliance in Illinois, that applicant shall submit an application along with a $20 processing fee prior to taking the program or 90 days prior to the expiration date of the license.  The Board shall review and recommend approval or disapproval of this program using the criteria set forth in this Section.

 

2)         If a licensee fails to submit an out of state CE approval form within the required time, late approval may be obtained by submitting the application with the $20 processing fee plus a $10 per hour late fee not to exceed $150.  The Board shall review and recommend approval or disapproval of this program using the criteria set forth in this Section.

 

e)         Certification of Compliance with CE Requirements

 

1)         Each renewal applicant shall certify, on the renewal application, full compliance with CE requirements set forth in subsection (a).

 

2)         The Division may require additional evidence demonstrating compliance with the CE requirements.  It is the responsibility of each renewal applicant to retain or otherwise produce evidence of such compliance.

 

3)         When there appears to be a lack of compliance with CE requirements, an applicant will be notified and may request an interview with the Board, at which time the Board may recommend that steps be taken to begin formal disciplinary proceedings as required by Section 10-65 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act [5 ILCS 100/10-65].

 

f)         Waiver of CE Requirements

 

1)         Any renewal applicant seeking renewal of his/her license without having fully complied with these CE requirements shall file with the Division a renewal application, the renewal fee set forth in Section 75(d) of the Act, a statement setting forth the facts concerning such non-compliance, and a request for waiver of the CE requirements on the basis of such facts.  If the Division, upon the written recommendation of the Board, finds from such affidavit or any other evidence submitted that good cause has been shown for granting a waiver, the Division shall waive enforcement of such requirements for the renewal period for which the applicant has applied.

 

2)         Good cause shall be defined as an inability to devote sufficient hours to fulfilling the CE requirements during the applicable prerenewal period because of:

 

A)        Full-time service in the armed forces of the United States of America during a substantial part of such period; or

 

B)        Extreme hardship, which shall be determined on an individual basis by the Board and shall be limited to documentation of:

 

i)          An incapacitating illness documented by a currently licensed physician,

 

ii)         A physical inability to travel to the sites of approved programs, or

 

iii)        Any other similar extenuating circumstances.

 

3)         If an interview with the Board is requested at the time the request for such waiver is filed with the Division, the renewal applicant shall be given at least 20 days written notice of the date, time and place of such interview by certified mail, return receipt requested.

 

4)         Any renewal applicant who submits a request for waiver pursuant to subsection (f)(1) of this Section shall be deemed to be in good standing until the Division's final decision on the application has been made.

 

(Source:  Amended at 30 Ill. Reg. 14455, effective August 28, 2006)