Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1330-01-.05 - QUALIFICATIONS AND PROCEDURES FOR LICENSURE
To become licensed as a respiratory care practitioner in Tennessee, a person must comply with the following procedures and requirements:
(1) All applicants for
all levels of licensure must comply with the following:
(a) A current application packet shall be
requested from the Board office.
(b) An applicant shall respond truthfully and
completely to every question or request for information contained in the
application form and submit it along with all documentation and fees required
by the form and this rule to the Board office.
(c) Applications for licensure will be
accepted throughout the year. All supporting documents requested in these
instructions must be received in the Board office within sixty (60) days of
receipt of the application or the file will be closed.
(d) An applicant shall pay, at the time of
application, the non-refundable application fee, state regulatory fee and if
applicable reciprocity or testing fee as provided in rule
1330-01-.06.
(e) An applicant shall submit with his
application a "passport" style photograph taken within the preceding twelve
(12) months.
(f) An applicant shall
attest on his application that he has attained at least eighteen (18) years of
age.
(g) An applicant shall
disclose the circumstances surrounding any of the following:
1. Conviction of any criminal law violation
of any country, state or municipality, except minor traffic
violations.
2. The denial of
licensure or certification application by any other state or the discipline of
licensure in any state.
3. Loss or
restriction of licensure or certification in this or in any other
state.
4. Any civil suit judgment
or civil suit settlement in which the applicant was a party defendant
including, without limitation, actions involving malpractice, breach of
contract, antitrust activity or any other civil action remedy recognized under
the country's or state's statutory common, or case law.
5. To the extent known by the applicant, the
circumstance involved in any pending investigation of licensure or
certification by any state.
(h) An applicant shall cause to be submitted
to the Board's administrative office directly from the vendor identified in the
Board's licensure application materials, the result of a criminal background
check.
(i) If an applicant holds or
has ever held a license or certification to practice respiratory care or any
other profession in any other state, the applicant shall cause to be submitted
the equivalent of a Tennessee Certificate of Endorsement (verification of
licensure or certification) from each such licensing board which indicates the
applicant holds or held an active license or certification and whether it is in
good standing presently or was in good standing at the time it became
inactive.
(j) When necessary, all
required documents shall be translated into English and such translation and
original document certified as to authenticity by the issuing source. Both
versions must be submitted.
(k) The
application form is not acceptable if any portion of it or any other documents
required to be submitted by this rule or the application itself have been
executed and dated prior to one year before filing with the Board.
(l) All applications shall be sworn to and
signed by the applicant and notarized. All documents submitted for
qualification of licensure become the property of the State of Tennessee and
will not be returned.
(2) In addition to the requirements of
paragraph (1) of this rule, the following requirements must be met according to
the level of licensure sought:
(a) Registered
respiratory therapists:
1. The applicant shall
submit proof of completion of academic and clinical preparation in a
respiratory care program approved by C.A.A.H.E.P. in collaboration with
Co.A.R.C. or their successor organizations.
2. The applicant shall have the school send
directly to the Board office either a certificate of completion, diploma, or
final official transcript. If arterial blood gas endorsement is desired, the
applicant must have their school send directly to the Board office a final
transcript which shows the applicant's training in blood gas
analysis.
3. The applicant shall
request verification of passage of the advanced level practitioner exam be
submitted directly to the Board office from NBRC.
(b) Certified respiratory therapists:
1. The applicant shall submit proof of
completion of academic and clinical preparation in a respiratory care program
approved by C.A.A.H.E.P. in collaboration with Co.A.R.C. or their successor
organizations.
2. The applicant
shall have the school send directly to the Board office either a certificate of
completion, diploma, or final official transcript. If arterial blood gas
endorsement is desired, the applicant must have their school send directly to
the Board office a final transcript which shows the applicant's training in
blood gas analysis.
3. The
applicant shall submit proof of completion of academic and clinical preparation
in a respiratory care program approved by the Commission on Accreditation of
Allied Health Education Programs or its successor organization or other
accrediting organization recognized by the Board. "Academic and clinical
preparation in a respiratory care program approved by the Commission on
Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs or its successor organization
or other accrediting organization by the Board" shall mean successful
completion of a respiratory care educational program as that term is defined in
T.C.A. §
63-27-105 and Rule
1330-01-.01.
The applicant shall have the school send directly to the Board office either a certificate of completion, diploma, or final official transcript. If arterial blood gas endorsement is desired, the applicant must have their school send directly to the Board office a final transcript which shows the applicant's training in blood gas analysis.
4. The applicant shall request verification
of passage of the entry-level practitioner exam provided by the NBRC be
submitted directly to the Board office from the NBRC.
(3) Respiratory care practitioners
by endorsement - The Board may issue a license by endorsement to an applicant
who is currently licensed to practice respiratory care under the laws of
another state, territory or country if the qualifications of the applicant are
deemed by the Board to be equivalent to those required in Tennessee.
(a) Endorsement applicants must:
1. Complete the Board approved
application;
2. Provide proof of
possessing a current license, in good standing, from another state;
and
3. Provide proof of having
completed at least twelve (12) hours of continuing education for the previous
calendar year.
(b) If
ABG endorsement is desired, refer to rule
1330-01-.22 on ABG
endorsement.
(c) Graduates of
educational programs not accredited by the American Medical Association
Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation or the Commission on
Accreditation for Respiratory Care may be determined to have equivalent
educational attainment upon submitting the following:
1. Official copy of grades and curriculum,
translated into English. Such translation and original document must be
certified as to authenticity by the issuing source.
2. Any education credentials obtained in such
program evaluated by either a professional credentialing agency or an
institution of higher education (college or university). The results of such
evaluation must be submitted directly to the Board's administrative office from
the evaluator on the evaluator's official letterhead and contain an original
signature.
3. If the applicant is
not a United States citizen:
(i) Documentation
of legal entry into the United States {certified photocopy of visa,
naturalization papers or passport}.
(ii) Evidence of passing their English
Competency Examination except for those applicants educated in countries in
which English is the primary language or whose country of education is a member
of the British Commonwealth. The test results must be forwarded directly to the
Board office from the testing agency.
(I) One
of the following examinations must have been passed:
I. Test of Spoken English
II. Test of English as a Foreign
Language
III. Test of Written
English or
IV. Michigan English
Language Assessment Battery
(II) To obtain information regarding English
competency examinations, requests must be directed to:
Test of English
P. O. Box 6155
Princeton, NJ 08541- 6155
Or
Michigan English Language Assessment Battery
English Language Institute
Testing and Certification Division
3020 North University Building
The University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1057
Notes
Authority: T.C.A. §§ 4-5-202, 4-5-204, 63-1-145, 63-1-146, 63-27-102, 63-27-104, 63-27-105, 63-27-106, 63-27-107, 63-27-108, 63-27-112, 63-27-113, 63-27-115, and 63-27-116.
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