64B17-9.001. Continuing Education

(1) Every person licensed pursuant to Chapter 486, F.S., shall be required to complete twenty-four contact hours of continuing education courses approved by the Board in the twenty-four months preceding each biennial renewal period as established by the Department. With the exception of the required courses in the prevention of medical errors and HIV/AIDS, applicants who become licensed in the second half of the biennium are exempt from this continuing education requirement for their first renewal.

(2) A contact hour shall consist of fifty clock minutes. One half contact hour shall consist of twenty-five clock minutes. Ten contact hours, also referred to as CE Hours (CEH), constitute one continuing education unit (CEU).

(3) Acceptable subject areas for physical therapy continuing education include professional ethics, clinical education, clinical practice, clinical research, clinical management, clinical science, Florida law relating to physical therapy, basic sciences, risk management, and HIV/AIDS. No more than five contact hours of courses in risk management shall be accepted within a biennium. Up to three contact hours in HIV/AIDS education pursuant to rule Chapter 64B17-8, F.A.C., may be included in the 24 contact hours. Up to three contact hours in prevention of medical errors education pursuant to rule Chapter 64B17-8, F.A.C., may be included in the 24 contact hours.

(4) The Board will accept up to twelve contact hours for home study during a biennium.

(5) Course instructors providing continuing education to licensees under this chapter shall receive up to six contact hours credit per biennium. This shall be awarded on a contact hour for each contact hour presented. However, instructors teaching their normal course of instruction shall not be granted contact hours toward their continuing education.

(6) Clinical Instructors shall receive 1 contact hour for every 120 hours of clinical internship limited to a maximum of 8 contact hours per instructor per bienium. Clinical instructors must be credentialed by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) to receive clinical continuing education credits.

(7) The Board recognizes continuing education credit for the following:

(a) Courses sponsored by a program in physical therapy at a college or university which provides a curriculum for training physical therapists or physical therapist assistants, when approved by the physical therapy or physical therapist assistants program, which is accredited by, or has status with an accrediting agency approved by the United States Department of Education. One credit hour of a college course is equivalent to 15 contact hours.

(b) Courses sponsored or approved by the American Physical Therapy Association.

(c) Courses sponsored or approved by the Florida Physical Therapy Association, so long as they meet the criteria set forth in subsection 64B17-9.001(3), F.A.C.

(d) Attendance at Florida Board meetings where disciplinary cases are being heard if the licensee is not on the agenda or appearing for another purpose. The number of risk management contact hours for such attendance is based on the definition of contact hour as set forth in subsection (2).

(e) Former Board members who serve on the Board’s Probable Cause Panel shall receive five contact hours of continuing education risk management credit per biennium for their service on the Panel.

(f) Licensees who file DOH form DH-MQA 1144, “Final Order/Continuing Education Credit Florida Laws and Rules Application,” (revised 05/2021), incorporated herein by reference, which is available through www.floridasphysicaltherapy.gov/resources, or at http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-13350, and take and pass the Florida laws and rules examination shall receive two (2) hours of continuing education per biennium. The continuing education credit shall be awarded only for the biennium in which the examination was taken and passed. Continuing education credit shall not be awarded to licensees who take and pass the examination as a result of a disciplinary proceeding or as a board ordered condition of initial licensure or reinstatement.

(8) The Board shall make exceptions for licensees from the continuing education requirements including waiver of all or a portion of these requirements or the granting of an extension of time in which to complete these requirements upon a finding of good cause by majority vote of the Board at a public meeting following receipt of a written request for exception based upon emergency or hardship. Emergency or hardship cases are those: (1) involving long term personal illness or illness involving a close relative or person for whom the licensee has care-giving responsibilities; (2) where the licensee can demonstrate that the required course(s) are not reasonably available; and (3) other demonstrated economic, technological or legal hardships that substantially relate to the ability to perform or complete the continuing education requirements. Licensees requesting an exception from continuing education requirements must provide the Board with documentation supporting the claim of emergency or hardship that is the basis of the request.

(9) The licensee must retain such receipts, vouchers, certificates, or other papers as may be necessary to document completion of the appropriate continuing education offerings listed on the renewal form for a period of not less than four years from the date the offering was taken.

Rulemaking Authority 456.013(6), 486.025, 486.109(5) FS. Law Implemented 456.013(6), 486.109, 486.125(3) FS. History–New 4-6-92, Formerly 21MM-9.001, Amended 3-7-94, Formerly 61F11-9.001, Amended 12-5-95, Formerly 59Y-9.001, Amended 2-14-02, 4-21-02, 1-2-03, 6-28-04, 4-9-06, 5-28-06, 2-17-08, 5-21-09, 8-10-09, 6-30-10, 9-23-10, 12-24-13, 11-23-14, 9-20-15, 10-23-17, 2-24-21, 8-10-21, 4-10-23, 12-4-23.