Oklahoma Administrative Code › Title 435 - State Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision › Chapter 45 - Respiratory Care Practitioner › Subchapter 1 - Administration and Organization › Section 435:45-1-2 - Definitions

Current through Vol. 41, No. 20, July 1, 2024
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.
Added at 13 Ok Reg 1021,
				  eff 11-21-95 (emergency); Added at 13 Ok Reg 1221, eff 2-26-96 (emergency);
				  Added at 13 Ok Reg 2695, eff 6-27-96; Amended at 15 Ok Reg 3950, eff 7-9-98
				  (emergency); Amended at 16 Ok Reg 1234, eff 5-14-99; Amended at 20 Ok Reg 984,
				  eff 5-21-03