CHAPTER 5

 

LICENSE RENEWAL AND CONTINUING EDUCATION

 Section 1. Authority. These rules are adopted under the Board's authority granted by Wyoming Statute 33-43-113.

 

 Section 2. Annual Renewal.

 

 (a) Licenses shall expire on October 31st of each year and may be renewed by providing the Board with the following, post marked on or prior to, the license expiration date:

 

  (i) Payment of the renewal fee;

 

  (ii) Complete application for renewal; and

 

  (iii) Verification of compliance with the continuing education requirements as set out below.

 

 (b) Approximately sixty (60) days prior to the renewal date the Board will send a renewal notice to the address of record.

 

  (i) Failure to receive notice of renewal from the Board does not excuse a licensee from the requirement for renewal under the Act and these rules.

 

 (c) Renewal applications received by the Board which are postmarked after October 31st will not be processed and the license will expire for failure to timely and sufficiently secure renewal.

 

 Section 3. Continuing Education.

 

 (a) Each licensee shall earn a minimum of eight (8) contact hours of continuing education every year, with no more than four (4) hours of training in ACLS/PALS/NRP or any combination thereof.  Basic CPR training is not accepted as continuing education towards license renewal.

 

  (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.

 

  (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.

 

 (b) The following standards shall govern acceptability of continuing education activities:

 

  (i) 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.

 

  (ii) 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.

 

  (iii) The Board approves continuing education programs germane to the profession of respiratory care sponsored by the following organizations

 

   (A) Institutions approved by the Joint Review Committee for Respiratory Therapy Education, Respiratory Care Accreditation Board or other successor accreditation organizations.

 

   (B) Courses approved by the AARC, 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 Technologies, 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.

 

   (C) Continuing education programs not sponsored by the above organizations may be submitted for review and approval by the Board.

   

  (iv) Licensees shall report their continuing education activities in a manner determined by the Board.

 

  (v) Licensees shall maintain copies of any certificates of attendance, letters certifying attendance, transcripts, or any official documents which serve as proof of participation or attendance for at least two (2) years from the date submitted for renewal. Proof of attendance shall contain the activity, dates, contact hours attended, sponsor, presenter, and the name of the licensee.

   

 (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.

 

 (d) Continuing education may be audited by the Board for verification of compliance with these requirements.

 

  (i) Failure to provide the documents requested for audit within thirty (30) days of receiving the notice from the Board may subject the licensee to disciplinary action.

 

  (ii) If the Board disallows any continuing education hours as a result of an audit, the licensee shall have three (3) months from notice of such disallowance to either:

 

   (A) Provide further evidence that the disallowed continuing education hours meet the criteria established by these rules; or

 

   (B) Provide evidence of having completed appropriate continuing education during the required time frame which may substitute for the disallowance; or

 

   (C) Remedy the disallowance by completing the number of additional continuing education hours necessary to fulfill the requirements in this Chapter.  These additional continuing education hours shall not be reported on subsequent applications for license renewal.

 

  (iii) If the continuing education hours disallowed are not remedied within the time frame permitted, then the license shall be subject to disciplinary action.

 

 (e) Upon written request received prior to the license expiration date, the Board may waive all or a portion of the continuing education requirement for renewal of a license if during the current renewal period.

 

  (i) The licensee must otherwise meets all other renewal requirements and experiences a severe physical or emotional hardship or other disabling situation; or is called to active duty in the armed forces of the United States, exceeding one hundred eighty (180) or more consecutive days during the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the license expiration date.

 

  (ii) The number of hours exempted shall be in proportion to the length of deployment, disability or situation.

 

  (iii) The licensee claiming an exemption shall provide supporting documentation from a third party acceptable to the Board.

 

 Section 4. 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, accompanied by the following:

 

(a) The renewal application;

 

 (b) Verification of compliance with the continuing education requirements established in these rules;

 

(c) The license renewal fee; and

 

(d) The reinstatement fee.