Qualified Preceptorship

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Licensed RCPs

You have the opportunity to earn “live” and/or “leadership” continuing education (CE) hours by engaging in preceptorship, which involves providing direct supervision and clinical instruction to students in a respiratory education program. To qualify, you must meet the following criteria:

1. Hold a valid, current, and unrestricted RCP license.
2. Possess a current and valid Registered Respiratory Therapist credential.
3. Have practiced a minimum of 4,000 hours (approximately 2 years full-time) as an RCP within the last five (5) years before providing preceptor services.
4. Complete a preceptor course within the last four years from the current license expiration date, provided by the AARC, CSRC, or a licensed health facility using AARC or CSRC course materials.
5. Be employed by a licensed facility to provide patient care as an RCP.

RCPs may claim double the actual CE hours earned for completing the preceptor course (as outlined in item 4 above), up to a maximum of six hours. For instance, if the preceptor course lasts three hours, an RCP may claim six CE hours. These claimed hours contribute to “leadership” CE. If the course satisfies the "CE Live Course Requirement," it can also be counted toward the required “live courses or meetings” CE hours.

RCPs meeting all of the qualifications numbered 1-5 above, may claim the following CE earned during any one renewal cycle period (two-year period) as a preceptor responsible for direct supervision and instruction to students in a patient-care setting in your role as an RCP employed to provide patient care:

• 5 CE hours for 500 to 999 hours of preceptor supervision and instruction.
• 10 CE hours for 1000 to 1499 hours of preceptor supervision and instruction.
• 15 CE hours for 1500 or more hours of preceptor supervision and instruction.

Furthermore, the earned 5, 10, or 15 CE hours for preceptorship count toward both "leadership" and "live courses or meetings" CE requirements.

Preceptor CE Verification Forms are available for optional use by RCPs to track and verify all of the required elements for CE credit.

Examples

Here are two examples of how pursuing preceptor qualification and/or providing services as a qualified preceptor can fulfill the following overall CE requirements:

Two-Year Renewal Cycle CE Requirements:

• 15 CE Hours in Clinical Practice
• 10 CE Hours in Leadership
• 5 CE Hours of any of the above or indirectly related to respiratory care
• 30 CE Hours Total Required

15 out of the total 30 required CE hours must be obtained through live courses or meetings, which include online activities that involve live interaction between course providers and students.

Example A

A licensed RCP meets qualifications 1-5 outlined above and accumulates 1500 hours of precepting, documented on preceptor CE verification forms during the two-year period leading up to the license renewal. The licensee has earned 15 CE hours in "leadership" and 15 hours for "live courses or meetings" through the process of precepting for 1500 hours. These accumulated hours can be applied to the overall CE requirements as detailed below:

• 15 CE Hours in Clinical Practice
• 10 CE Hours in Leadership ✔ COMPLETED
• 5 CE Hours of any of the above or indirectly related to respiratory care ✔ COMPLETED
• 30 CE Hours Total Required

15 out of the total 30 required CE hours must be obtained through live courses or meetings, which include online activities that involve live interaction between course providers and students. ✔ COMPLETED

The only outstanding CE requirement in this example is to acquire 15 hours of CE in clinical practice, whether in a live or non-live format.

Example B

A licensed RCP completes a 2-hour non-live and online preceptor course, as specified in item 4 among the qualifications listed above. Additionally, they accrue 1000 hours of precepting, documented on preceptor CE verification forms during the two-year period leading up to the license renewal. The licensee has earned 4 hours of "leadership" CE by completing the 2-hour online (non-live) preceptor course, and an additional 10 CE hours in "leadership" as well as 10 CE hours toward "live courses or meetings" through the process of precepting for 1000 hours. These accumulated hours can be applied to the overall CE requirements as detailed below:

• 15 CE Hours in Clinical Practice
• 10 CE Hours in Leadership ✔ COMPLETED
• 5 CE Hours of any of the above or indirectly related to respiratory care ✔ 4 CE HOURS COMPLETED
• 30 CE Hours Total Required

15 out of the total 30 required CE hours must be obtained through live courses or meetings, which include online activities that involve live interaction between course providers and students. ✔ 10 CE HOURS COMPLETED

In this instance, the outstanding CE requirements include:

• 15 hours of CE in clinical practice AND
• an additional hour in clinical practice, leadership, OR a course or meeting indirectly related to respiratory care

Additionally, a minimum of 5 out of the remaining 16 CE hours must be obtained by participating in a live course or meeting.

Preceptor Course Instructors

An RCP who serves as an instructor of the preceptor course may also qualify for up to 10 hours of CE credit.

Pursuant to section 1399.352.6 of the California Code of Regulations (CCR), an instructor for this purpose, is a person who teaches the preceptor course identified in number 4 above who:

• Holds a valid, current, and unrestricted RCP license.
• Holds a current and valid Registered Respiratory Therapist credential issued by the NBRC.
• Has practiced a minimum of 8,000 hours as an RCP within the six (6) years immediately preceding the date instruction.
• Is employed by a facility, licensed by the California Department of Health or designated by the AARC or CSRC to provide said education.

This section does not include instruction to students in the role of an educator or clinical instructor employed by a respiratory care education program.

Instructors who meet all of the criteria above, may claim up to ten (10) hours of CE for each renewal cycle for actual time spent teaching preceptor courses.

The CE earned as an instructor of preceptor courses may be counted toward hours required for the RCP leadership requirement and toward the hours required for live, real-time CE requirement.

Note: There are no requirements to participate as a preceptor at your employment. These requirements are only if you want to claim CE credit for your involvement as a preceptor.