Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1370-02-.12 - CONTINUING EDUCATION, CALIBRATION CERTIFICATES, AND BILLS OF SALE
(1) Basic Requirements:
(a) Continuing Education
1. Each licensee registered with the Council
is required to successfully complete twenty (20) hours of continuing education
during the two (2) calendar years (January 1 - December 31) that precede the
licensure renewal year.
2. Two (2)
hours of the twenty (20) hour requirement shall pertain to Tennessee statutes
and rules concerning hearing instrument specialists.
3. For new licensees, submitting proof of
successful completion of the written and practical skills examinations,
pursuant to Rule 1370-02-.08, shall be considered
proof of sufficient preparatory education to constitute continuing education
credit for the first calendar year of licensure.
(b) Calibration Certificates - Each licensee
registered with the Council is required to retain calibration of equipment
certificates for each audiometer used at his/her place of business during the
calendar year.
(c) Bills of Sale -
Each licensee registered with the Council is required to retain copies of bills
of sale for each hearing aid sold at his/her place of business during the
calendar year.
(2)
Documentation of Compliance:
(a) Each licensee
must retain documentation of completion of all requirements of this rule. This
documentation must be retained for a period of four (4) years from the end of
the calendar year in which the requirements were completed. This documentation
must be produced for inspection and verification, if requested in writing by
the Council during its verification process.
(b) Acceptable continuing education
documentation:
1. Certificates or original
letters from course providers verifying the licensee's attendance at continuing
education program(s); or
2. An
original letter on official stationery from IHS verifying continuing education,
specifying date, continuing education hours, program title, licensee's name,
and license number.
(c)
The individual must, within thirty (30) days of a request from the Council,
provide documentation of successfully completing this rule's
requirements.
(3)
Continuing Education Course Approval - Courses to be offered for credit toward
the continuing education requirement must, unless otherwise provided, receive
prior approval from the Council. Unless otherwise provided, all courses shall
be offered within Tennessee.
(a) Course
approval procedures
1. Pre-approved course
providers - Continuing education courses which pertain to hearing instrument
specialists shall be considered approved if provided or sanctioned by the
following entities:
(i) International Hearing
Society;
(ii) National Board for
Certification-Hearing Instruments Specialists;
(iii) National Institute for Hearing
Instruments Studies;
(iv) Any state
professional association affiliated with the associations listed in subparts
(i) through (iii);
(v) Any state
regulatory agency for hearing instrument specialists in the United
States.
2. Course
approval procedure for other course providers
(i) Unless pre-approved as provided in part
(3) (a) 1., the course provider must have delivered to the Council's
Administrative Office at least thirty (30) days prior to a regularly scheduled
meeting of the Council that precedes the course, documentation which includes
all of the following items which must be resubmitted if substantive changes are
made after receipt of approval from the Council:
(I) course description or outline;
(II) names of all lecturers;
(III) brief resume of all
lecturers;
(IV) number of hours of
educational credit requested;
(V)
date of course;
(VI) copies of
materials to be utilized in the course; and
(VII) how verification of attendance is to be
documented.
(ii)
Notwithstanding the provisions of the introductory language of this paragraph,
any clinic, workshop, seminar or lecture at national, regional , state and
local meetings of hearing instrument specialists will be recognized for
continuing education credit by the Council if
(I) the course provider has complied with the
provisions of subpart (3) (a) 2.
(i);
or
(II) the course
provider is exempt from needing prior approval as provided in part (3) (a)
1.
(iii) Notwithstanding
the provisions of the introductory language of this paragraph, out-of-state
continuing education providers may seek course approval if they are a hearing
instrument specialist regulatory agency or association from a state that
borders Tennessee; and
(I) the course provider
has complied with the provisions of subpart (3) (a) 2.
(i); or
(II) the course provider is exempt from
needing prior approval as provided in part (3) (a) 1.
3. Course approval procedure for
individual licensees
(i) Any licensee may seek
approval to receive credit for successfully completing continuing education
courses by delivering to the Council's Administrative Office at least thirty
(30) days prior to a regularly scheduled meeting of the Council that precedes
the course, everything required in items (3) (a) 2.
(i)
(I)
through (VII) which must be resubmitted if substantive changes are made after
receipt of approval from the Council; and
(ii) To retain course approval, the licensee
must submit a course evaluation form, supplied by the Council, to the Council's
Administrative Office within thirty (30) days after successfully completing the
course.
4.
Course approval for attendance at Council meetings
(i) Licensees may receive credit for one (1)
hour of continuing education required in part (1) (a) 2. for each Council
meeting that they attend in entirety.
(ii) Council members may receive credit for
one (1) hour of continuing education required in part (1) (a) 2. for each
Council meeting that they attend in entirety.
(iii) No more than two (2) hours of
continuing education credit shall be awarded for attendance at Council meetings
during any two (2) calendar year period.
(b) Continuing education credit will not be
allowed for the following:
1. Regular work
activities, administrative staff meetings, case staffing/ reporting,
etc.
2. Membership in, holding
office in, or participation on boards or committees, business meetings of
professional organizations, or banquet speeches, except as provided in part (3)
(a) 4.
3. Independent unstructured
or self-structured learning.
4.
Training specifically related to policies and procedures of an
agency.
5. Non-hearing instrument
specialist dispensing content courses in excess of four (4) hours - examples:
computer, finance or business management.
6. Courses provided by an individual hearing
instrument manufacturer in excess of ten (10) hours during each renewal
cycle.
(c) Continuing
education hours that are clearly not hearing instrument specialist related will
be unacceptable.
(4)
Continuing Education for Reactivation or Reinstatement of Retired, Revoked, or
Expired Licensure.
(a) Reactivation of a
Retired License.
1. An individual whose
license has been retired for two (2) years or less will be required to fulfill
continuing education requirements as outlined in this Rule as a prerequisite to
reactivation. Those hours will be considered replacement hours and cannot be
counted during the next licensure renewal period.
2. An individual who requests reactivation of
a license which has been retired for more than two (2) years must submit, along
with the reactivation request, verification which indicates the attendance and
completion of twenty (20) hours of continuing education. The continuing
education hours must have been started and successfully completed within the
two (2) years immediately preceding the date of the requested
reactivation.
(b)
Reactivation of Revoked Licensure.
1. No
person whose license has been revoked for failure to comply with continuing
education may have his/her license reactivated without complying with these
requirements. Continuing education requirements will accumulate at the same
rate as for those licenses which are active. The required clock hours of
continuing education must have been begun and successfully completed before the
date of reactivation.
2.
Notwithstanding the provisions of part (4) (b) 1., on written request and
approval by the Council, a licensee has the option to take and pass the written
and practical sections of the examination given by the Council in lieu of
fulfilling the continuing education requirement. The current examination fee,
pursuant to rule 1370-02-.06, will be
applicable.
(c)
Reinstatement of Expired Licensure - No person whose license has expired may
have his/her license reinstated without submitting evidence of continuing
education. The continuing education hours documented at the time of
reinstatement must equal the hours required, had the license remained in an
active status, and must have been begun and successfully completed before the
date of reinstatement.
(d)
Continuing education hours obtained as a prerequisite for reactivating or
reinstating a license may not be counted toward the calendar year
requirement.
(5)
Violations
(a) Any licensee who falsely
certifies attendance and completion of the required hours of continuing
education requirements, or who does not or can not adequately substantiate
completed continuing education hours with the required documentation, may be
subject to disciplinary action.
(b)
Prior to the institution of any disciplinary proceedings, a letter shall be
issued to the last known address of the individual stating the facts or conduct
which warrant the intended action.
(c) The licensee has thirty (30) days from
the date of notification to show compliance with all lawful requirements for
the retention of the license.
(d)
Any licensee who fails to show compliance with the required continuing
education hours in response to the notice contemplated by subparagraph (5) (b)
above may be subject to disciplinary action.
(e) Continuing education hours obtained as a
result of compliance with the terms of a Council Order in any disciplinary
action shall not be credited toward the continuing education hours required to
be obtained in any renewal period.
Notes
Authority: T.C.A. ยงยง 4-5-202, 4-5-204, 63-17-105, 63-17-203, and 63-17-214.
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