24.129.2101    CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

(1) Licensees shall affirm an understanding of their recurring duty to comply with continuing education (CE) requirements as a part of license renewal. The CE requirements do not apply until the licensee's first full year of licensure.

(2) Licensees shall obtain 14 hours of CE annually.

(3) The board/staff will not preapprove CE programs or sponsors; however, a suggested list of courses/providers can be found on the board's web site. It is the responsibility of the licensee to select quality programs that:

(a) contribute to the licensee's knowledge and professional competence;

(b) contain significant intellectual or practical content; and

(c) are germane to the profession of a clinical laboratory science practitioner.

(4) The licensee is responsible for maintaining:

(a) proof of attendance/certificate of completion;

(b) title/subject of course;

(c) duration of course;

(d) date credits were earned; and

(e) course provider and/or speaker.

(5) College course work, which meets the criteria in (3), is subject to the following limitations:

(a) the licensee must pass the course;

(b) one semester credit shall equal 15 hours of CE;

(c) one quarter credit shall equal 10 hours of CE.

(6) CE credits can be earned by teaching courses that are germane to the profession. Credit units may be applied in this category based on a report by the licensee. For a one-hour presentation, the presenter will be awarded two hours of CE. The following limitations shall apply to requests for credit under this section:

(a) documentation must be submitted showing the licensee as the instructor of the course;

(b) the course must be addressed to health professionals in order to qualify for credit;

(c) instruction of any course may be submitted for CE only once;

(d) individuals employed by universities and colleges may not claim credit units in this section 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.

(7) The board may randomly audit up to 50 percent of renewed licensees' CE hours.

(8) Licensees found to be in noncompliance with CE requirements may be subject to administrative suspension.

 

History: 37-1-319, MCA; IMP, 37-1-306, 37-1-319, 37-1-321, MCA; NEW, 1994 MAR p. 1671, Eff. 6/24/94; AMD, 1996 MAR p. 1296, Eff. 5/10/96; AMD, 2000 MAR p. 1034, Eff. 3/17/00; AMD, 2001 MAR p. 2416, Eff. 12/7/01; TRANS, from Commerce, 2002 MAR p. 1485; AMD, 2002 MAR p. 1486, Eff. 5/17/02; AMD, 2012 MAR p. 2611, Eff. 12/21/12; AMD, 2019 MAR p. 178, Eff. 2/9/19.