State Guidelines on Continuing Education Credits - K.A.R. 100-55-7

Sep 23, 2026

State Guidelines on Continuing Education Credits set requirements for respiratory therapist license renewal under K.A.R. 100-55-7. Licensees must submit documented evidence of at least 12 contact hours of continuing education completed since April 1 of the prior year. Continuing education may be earned through approved offerings, seminars and symposiums, nontraditional or alternative programs, clinical instruction, presentations, and academic coursework, with specified hour limits and eligibility restrictions. The rule also defines contact hours as 50 minutes of instruction or equivalent, assigns exemptions for certain newly licensed therapists, limits credits for advanced lifesaving courses, and excludes work-based learning activities and basic life support courses.

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CategoryHealthcare

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Continuing education credit requirements

Renewal documentation and exemptions

Definition of contact hours and purpose

Acceptable sources and credit limits

Ineligible learning activities

State Guidelines on Continuing Education Credits No continuing education hours are granted for renewal courses for advance lifesaving certification including neonatal resuscitation provider (NRP), pediatric advanced life support (PALS), neonatal advanced life support (NALS), and advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) . There is also a limit of 6 hours from nontraditional or alternative programs. The regulation concerning appropriate continuing education is below for your convenience. K.A.R. 100-55-7. Continuing education; license renewal. (a) Each licensee shall submit documented evidence of completion of at least 12 contact hours of continuing education since April 1 of the previous year, before or with the request for renewal. (b) Any licensee who suffered an illness or injury that made it impossible or extremely difficult to reasonably obtain the required contact hours may be granted an extension of not more than six months. (c) Each respiratory therapist initially licensed after September 30 and before the following March 31 shall be exempt from the continuing education required by subsection (a) for the first renewal period. (d) A contact hour shall be 50 minutes of instruction or its equivalent. (e) The purpose of continuing education shall be to provide evidence of continued competency in the advancing art and science of respiratory therapy. All program objectives, curricular content, presenter qualifications, and outcomes shall be subject to review. Contact hours shall be determined based on program content, outcomes, and participant involvement. (f) Continuing education shall be acquired from the following: (1) Offerings approved by the American association of respiratory care. Any licensee may obtain all contact hours from any continuing education offerings approved by the American association of respiratory care and its state affiliates, subject to the limitations specified in paragraphs (f)(2) through (f)(8) . (2) Seminars and symposiums. At least six contact hours shall be obtained each reporting year from seminars or symposiums that provide for direct interaction between the speakers and the participants. A seminar shall mean directed advanced study or discussion in a specific field of interest. A symposium shall mean a conference of more than a single session organized for the purpose of discussing a specific subject from various viewpoints and by various speakers. (3) Nontraditional or alternative educational programs. A nontraditional or alternative educational program shall be defined as one that is not presented in the typical conference setting. Educational programs may be provided by any print medium or presented through the internet or other electronic medium. The licensee shall submit proof of successful completion of a test administered as part of the nontraditional or alternative educational program. A maximum of six contact hours each reporting year may be obtained from nontraditional or alternative educational programs. (4) Clinical instruction. Clinical instruction shall mean the education and evaluation of a respiratory therapy student in the clinical setting. A maximum of three contact hours may be given for clinical instruction. (5) Presentations of a seminar or a nontraditional or alternative program. Each licensee who presents a continuing education seminar or a nontraditional or alternative educational programshall receive two contact hours for each hour of presentation. No credit shall be granted for any subsequent presentations on the same subject content. (6) Academic coursework. Successful completion of academic coursework shall mean obtaining a grade of at least C or the equivalent in any courses on respiratory care or other health-related field of study in a bachelor’s degree program or higher educational degree program. One credit hour of academic coursework shall be equal to one contact hour of continuing education. A maximum of six contact hours may be obtain

FAQs

How many continuing education contact hours are required for license renewal?

Each licensee must submit documented evidence of completion of at least 12 contact hours of continuing education since April 1 of the previous year, before or with the renewal request.

What is considered a contact hour and how is it calculated?

A contact hour equals 50 minutes of instruction or its equivalent.

Which learning activities are not eligible for continuing education credit?

Learning activities in the work setting intended to help fulfill employer requirements, including in-service education and on-the-job training, are not eligible. Basic life support courses and cardiopulmonary resuscitation courses are also excluded.

Sep 23, 2026

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