Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0880-05-.05 - EDUCATIONAL COURSE, APPROVAL AND CURRICULUM FOR LIMITED CERTIFICATION

(1) Course approval

(a) To be approved to provide limited radiological certification training the educational course director must obtain Board approval by submitting the following information to the Board Administrative Office:

1. Location of the course; and

2. Names of physicians, A.R.R.T. technologists, physicists, or other work qualified personnel who are acting as instructors. Individuals with just a limited x-ray certification, without further credentials that this rule allows or the Board feels uniquely qualifies them to instruct students in a particular subject, may not under any circumstances teach or otherwise provide limited radiological certification training; and

3. Course description and curriculum.

(b) If the substance of the requirements in subparagraph (1) (a) changes the course provider must submit, within fifteen (15) days of the change, a new request for course approval. Course approval may be withdrawn for failure to timely submit the new request and/or for changes that result in the course no longer meeting the requirements of subparagraph (1) (a).

(c) To remain approved to provide limited radiological certification training the educational course director must obtain Board approval every two (2) years by submitting the information required in subparagraph (1) (a).

(2) The following curriculum is mandatory for all limited certification education programs and course approval shall be based upon the level of radiological education obtainable through the program courses according to the following:

(a) Basic Course - Defined as the core, theory or foundation education basic to radiography. The basic course is prerequisite to any specialty area certification but need be successfully completed only once. The basic radiological course shall include, but not be limited to, imaging equipment, principles of radiographic exposure, radiation protection, radiographic quality and radiographic film processing. This course shall consist of fifty (50) clock hours. Successful completion of this basic course can be substituted for the course required for limited certification in bone densitometry.

(b) Specialty Areas - Defined as the study of radiography of a particular anatomical part including human structure and function, radiographic positioning and procedures, and evaluation of radiographs. Each separate specialty area course shall minimally consist of the following amount of classroom clock hours:

1. Chest - ten (10) classroom clock hours;

2. Extremities - until June 1, 2008 ten (10) classroom clock hours and thereafter forty (40) classroom clock hours;

3. Skull and Sinuses - ten (10) classroom clock hours; and

4. Spine - until June 1, 2008 ten (10) classroom clock hours and thereafter thirty (30) classroom clock hours.

(c) Clinical Training - Defined as "hands-on" observation and participation in the production of diagnostic radiographs. Clinical training must be supervised by either a residency-trained radiologist, or by a licensed physician in conjunction and consultation with a fully-licensed and registered operator (A.R.R.T. technologist) with at least three (3) years experience when appropriate. This training shall minimally consist of the following amount of clinical clock hours for each specialty area in which certification is sought:

1. Chest - until June 1, 2008 sixty (60) clinical clock hours and thereafter thirty (30) clinical clock hours;

2. Extremities - until June 1, 2008 sixty (60) clinical clock hours and thereafter eighty (80) clinical clock hours;

3. Skull and Sinuses - until June 1, 2008 sixty (60) clinical clock hours and thereafter thirty (30) clinical clock hours; and

4. Spine - until June 1, 2008 sixty (60) clinical clock hours and thereafter eighty (80) clinical clock hours.

(d) Specialty areas defined

1. Chest - includes visceral thorax only; routine projections are PA, AP, Lateral, Oblique, Decubitus, and Apical Lordotic, but does not include ribs or sternum.

2. Extremities

(i) Upper Extremity - includes all routine views of the fingers up through the pectoral girdle.

(ii) Lower Extremity includes the toes up through the femur including routine unilateral hip joint views, but not the pelvis.

3. Skull and Sinuses

(i) Skull - includes AP/PA, Townes and Lateral.

(ii) Sinuses - includes upright PA/Caldwell, Lateral, and Waters.

4. Spine - Prior to June 1, 2008 shall be limited to only the AP/PA and Lateral Lumbar Spine but thereafter for those who have complied with rule 0880-5-.04(1) (c) shall include the following:

(i) Cervical - includes AP/PA, lateral, obliques, and open mouth odontoid.

(ii) Thoracic- includes AP/PA, lateral, and Swimmers.

(iii) Lumbar - includes AP/PA, lateral, spot lateral of L5-S1, and obliques.

(3) Course approval may be withdrawn if the Board finds the course is in violation of any of its statutes or regulations or if the Board finds the course inadequate for certification purposes based upon random auditing of the course and/or its effectiveness in producing qualified graduates. The minimum standard for continued course approval shall be based upon at least a sixty-five percent (65%) graduate pass rate for first time takers on the examinations over at least a six (6) month period.

(4) The Board of Medical Examiner's designee may issue course approval subject to subsequent Board ratification.

Notes

Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0880-05-.05

Original rule filed March 4, 1985; effective April 3, 1985. Repeal and new rule filed December 7, 1993; effective February 20, 1994. Amendment filed July 12, 1995; effective September 25, 1995. Amendment filed August 31, 2000; effective November 14, 2000. Amendment filed October 4, 2002; effective December 18, 2002. Amendment filed May 28, 2003; effective August 11, 2003. Amendment filed March 22, 2007; effective June 5, 2007. Amendment filed May 27, 2008; effective August 10, 2008.

Authority: T.C.A. §§ 4-5-202, 4-5-204, 63-6-101, and 63-6-224.