Continuing Education

Number of Hours

 

RCPs shall earn a minimum of ten hours of qualifying continuing education within the previous one year period for which the license is being renewed.  The continuing education shall be directly related to respiratory therapy, reflect the professional needs of the licensee in order to meet the health care needs of the public and include a minimum of at least five hours of real-time education with opportunities for live interaction, including, but not limited to, in-person conferences or real-time webinars. One contact hour is a minimum of fifty minutes of continuing education activity.

Qualifying Continuing Education

 

The Connecticut Department of Public Health does not review and approve CE courses.  It is incumbent on the provider and the practitioner to ensure that the continuing education activities meet the following requirements:

 

Qualifying continuing education activities include, but are not limited to, courses, including on-line courses, offered or approved by the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC), regionally accredited institutions of higher education, or a state or local health department.

 

Documentation/Record Retention

 

Each licensee must obtain a certificate of completion from the provider of the continuing education and retain records of attendance for all continuing education hours and shall retain such documentation for a minimum of five years following the date the licensee was recredentialed or in which the continuing education activities were completed.  Only upon request by the Department should the licensee submit such certificates to the Department.

Exemptions

 

A licensee who is applying for license renewal for the first time is exempt from continuing education requirements until such licensee’s next registration period.

 

The Department may, for a licensee who is not engaged in active practice or who has a medical disability or illness, grant a waiver of the continuing education requirements for a specified period of time or may grant the licensee an extension of time in which to fulfill the requirements.  Those desiring a waiver or exemption must file a notarized application and submit it along with documentation of the illness or waiver, if applicable, to the Department.  Upon receipt of the application and supporting documentation, the licensee will be notified in writing regarding the Department's determination.

 

Return to Active Practice Following Exemption

 

Individuals who have received an exemption or waiver may not return to active practice until the licensee has met the continuing education requirements as outlined above.