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Oklahoma Administrative Code (Last Updated: March 11, 2021) |
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TITLE 435. State Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision |
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Chapter 45. Respiratory Care Practitioner |
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Subchapter 1. Administration and Organization |
SECTION 435:45-1-2. Definitions
Latest version.
- In addition to terms defined in §2027 of Title 59 of the Oklahoma Statutes, the following words and terms when used in this Chapter shall have the following meaning, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:"Accredited training and education program" means a respiratory technician or respiratory therapist program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or its successor organization."Board" means the State Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision."Committee" means the Respiratory Care Advisory Committee."Direct supervision" means direct clinical on-site supervision that is personal management and control of the clinical practice of the student or provisional/special provisional license holder. Supervision begins when an Oklahoma licensed respiratory care practitioner or Oklahoma licensed physician signs the Form #5, Verification of Supervision, and remains in effect during the licensure application process or until the Board receives written notice of termination of supervision from the supervisor or upon the Board's approval of a new supervisor. The Form #5 supervisor delineates the specific tasks and duties to be performed and is on the premises, readily available to respond and provide direct clinical supervision sufficient to assure that the provisional license holder is practicing under the direction of an Oklahoma licensed respiratory care practitioner or Oklahoma licensed physician."Formally trained/licensed" means a person who has documented evidence of professional education/training in respiratory care modalities, theory, and clinical application which shall be conducted via an accredited educational program recognized by the Respiratory Therapy Advisory Committee and the Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision as providing expertise in respiratory care training. Those individuals requesting practice privileges pursuant to the provisions of the Respiratory Care Practice Act shall have evidence by written examination of their competency and the scope of their privileges shall be determined by the evidence of their competency testing."Full time practice" means greater than 1,000 hours a year."General supervision" means the responsible supervision and control of the practice of the student or provisional/special provisional license holder. Supervision begins when an Oklahoma licensed respiratory care practitioner or Oklahoma licensed physician signs the Form #5, Verification of Supervision, and remains in effect until the Board receives written notice of termination of supervision from the supervisor or upon the Board's approval of a new supervisor. The Form #5 supervisor is regularly and routinely on-site. When not on-site, the Form #5 supervisor is on call and readily available physically or through direct telecommunication for consultation. The student or provisional/special provisional license holder will respond to acute changes in the patient's physiological state and report these findings promptly to the supervisor on duty."Graduate" means a non-licensed person who has completed a respiratory technician or respiratory therapist education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or its successor organization, pursuant to a provisional license issued under the regulations of this Chapter."Licensing period" means the two-year period from the date of original issuance of a license to an applicant."Practice of respiratory care" shall include, but not be limited to, the direct and indirect respiratory care services including but not limited to the administration of medical gases, pharmacological, diagnostic, and therapeutic agents and services related to respiratory care procedures necessary to implement and administer treatment, ventilatory support, maintenance of the airway via natural or artificial means, specimen collection, disease prevention, pulmonary rehabilitation, or diagnostic regimen prescribed by orders of a physician; observing and monitoring signs and symptoms, physiologic measurements of the cardiopulmonary system, general behavior, general physical response to respiratory care treatment and diagnostic testing, including determination of whether such signs, symptoms, reactions, behavior or general response exhibit abnormal characteristics; and implementation, based on clinical observations, of appropriate reporting, referral, respiratory care protocol, or changes in treatment, pursuant to a prescription by a person authorized to practice medicine under the laws of this state, or the initiation of emergency procedures under the rules of the Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision or as otherwise permitted in the Respiratory Care Practice Act. The practice of respiratory care shall not include the delivery, set-up, installation, maintenance, monitoring and the providing of instructions on the use of home oxygen and durable medical equipment."Provisional license holder" means:(A) a person who is engaged in the practice of respiratory care for remuneration while enrolled in an accredited respiratory technician or respiratory therapist training and education program, pursuant to a provisional license;(B) a graduate of a respiratory technician or respiratory therapist education program, accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or its successor organization, who has applied to take the license examination and otherwise meets the qualifications of the Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision;(C) a person licensed in another state, territory or country who does not qualify for a license by endorsement but has applied to take the license examination and otherwise meets the qualifications of the Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision. Such applicant must show written evidence, verified by oath, that the applicant is currently practicing or has within the last six (6) months practiced respiratory care in another state, territory or country."Qualified medical director" means the licensed physician responsible for respiratory care services or the licensed physician designated as such by the clinic, hospital, or employing health care facility. The physician must be a medical staff member or medical director of a health care facility licensed by the Oklahoma State Department of Health."Respiratory care practitioner" means a person licensed by this state and employed in the practice of respiratory care."Respiratory care protocols" means a predetermined, written medical care plan approved by the physician and includes standing orders. Standing orders are defined responses to specific clinical situations."Respiratory therapist" means an individual who has graduated from a respiratory therapist program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or its successor organization."Respiratory therapy technician" means an individual who has graduated from a respiratory therapy technician program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or its successor organizations."Special provisional license holder" means all other applicants who have not passed the examination for Certified Respiratory Therapy Technician (CRTT) or Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT); have been in the full time practice of respiratory care for a period of less than twenty-four (24) months; and through written evidence verified by oath, demonstrate that they are currently functioning in the capacity of a respiratory care practitioner, may be given a special provisional license to practice respiratory care under the supervision of a consenting licensed respiratory care practitioner or consenting licensed physician for a period of no longer than thirty-six (36) months from the effective date of the Respiratory Care Practice Act, 59 O.S., Section 2026 et seq. Such applicants must pass an entry level examination administered by the National Board of Respiratory Care during the thirty-six-month period in order to be issued a license to practice respiratory care."Standing order" means a defined response to a specific clinical situation."Student" means a person enrolled in an accredited respiratory technician or respiratory therapist training and education program and who receives no remuneration for respiratory care services performed as part of an accredited respiratory technician or respiratory therapist program. This person needs no provisional/special provisional license."Supervision" means direction and control of students and provisional license holders in the practice of respiratory care. The supervisor(s) indicated on the Form #5, Verification of Supervision, remain(s) responsible for the respiratory care given and is on the premises and on duty during all hours worked by the student or provisional license holder."Supervision of student holding provisional licenses" means the supervision of each student holding a provisional license. The Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision will send each student holding a provisional license a letter which includes a task list of procedures the student may perform. Prior to initially engaging in any clinical assignments and upon any modification of the task list, a student provisional license holder must present the letter to his or her employer. The individual(s) who sign(s) as the supervisor of the student provisional license holder on Form #5 will also receive a copy of the letter indicating the tasks the student is able to perform when working as an employee."Supervisor" means an Oklahoma licensed respiratory care practitioner or an Oklahoma licensed physician who is on the premises and on duty at any time the student or provisional license holder is on duty. The Supervisor is responsible for respiratory care given by the student or provisional license holder.