Requirements and Information

The Respiratory Care Board of California (Board) has promulgated regulations to require completion of a Board-approved law and professional ethics course by applicants, licensees, and petitioners for reinstatement. As provided, the course must be taken by licensees as part of their continuing education during every other renewal cycle. The Board established January 1, 2006 as the course implementation date and will be phasing in course completion by licensees over the next four years.

To comply with this requirement, please be advised that each licensee will be required to successfully complete a Board-approved law and professional ethics course during an upcoming renewal cycle. Information regarding individual course due dates is being provided with each renewed license to ensure sufficient notification and adequate time for successful completion of the required course. Each licensee can also determine his or her specific course due date by viewing the Law and Professional Ethics Course Implementation Schedule.

Successful completion of the course will constitute 3 CEU's toward the existing continuing education requirement. When the course is due as part of license renewal, the licensee will be required to certify on the renewal application, that he/she has completed a law and professional ethics course, as required. Failure to complete the course will delay the license renewal and may result in the license being inactivated.

The California Society for Respiratory Care (CSRC) and the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) have independently developed law and professional ethics courses which have been approved and are available to be taken via the Internet (the CSRC will also provide "live" sessions on designated dates).

Each of the board-approved courses are unique, though they both are 3-hours in length and consist of the following subject areas:

• Obligations of licensed respiratory care practitioners to patients under their care;
• Responsibilities of respiratory care practitioners to report illegal activities occurring in the work place; and
• Acts that jeopardize licensure and licensure status.

Before deciding which course to take, licensees are encouraged to visit each providers' website to review additional information pertaining to the administration of each course. Each licensee can then select the course provider that best meets his/her individual needs.

As with all continuing education certificates of completion, licensees must maintain documentation of successful course completion for a period of four years, as the Board may request that it be provided as part of a future continuing education audit.