64B8-45.001. General Requirements

(1) As a condition of biennial licensure renewal all licensees shall complete a minimum of thirty (30) hours of continuing education in dietetics and nutrition practice within the twenty-four (24) month period prior to the expiration date of the license, of which no more than ten (10) hours may be in management, risk management, personal growth, and educational techniques. Up to twenty (20) hours of credit shall be accepted per biennium for approved home study courses. Those persons certified for licensure in the second half of the biennium are exempt from the continuing education requirements for that biennium. One hour of continuing education equals a minimum of fifty (50) minutes of instruction.

(2) Home study education is independent study and requires a certificate of completion and an examination. Web based, satellite transmitted, video or audio transmitted or on line instruction programs that allow or require the licensee to interact or communicate back and forth with the instructor during the presentation of the program are not considered home study education, but can be counted as continuing education.

(3) By renewing the license, the licensee is stating that he or she has completed the required hours.

(4) The licensee shall retain for 4 years certificates of attendance or other records to document the completion of the continuing education requirement.

(5) Failure to document compliance with the continuing education requirements or the furnishing of false or misleading information regarding compliance shall be grounds for disciplinary action.

(6) If prior to biennial renewal a licensee has any extenuating circumstance such as catastrophic illness or extreme situations beyond the control of the licensee, the Council shall consider the situation on an individual basis.

(7) Two (2) hours of the required thirty contact hours per biennium shall relate to prevention of medical errors, including a study of root-cause analysis, error reduction and prevention, and patient safety. If the course is being offered by a facility licensed pursuant to Chapter 395, F.S., for its employees, up to one hour of the two-hour course may be specifically related to error reduction and prevention methods used in that facility.

Rulemaking Authority 456.013(7), (8), (9), 468.507 FS. Law Implemented 456.013(7), (8), (9), 468.514, 468.515 FS. History–New 12-5-90, Amended 1-1-92, 9-24-92, 5-6-93, Formerly 21M-51.001, Amended 9-28-93, Formerly 61F6-51.001, Amended 1-2-95, 11-12-95, Formerly 59R-45.001, Amended 9-26-01, 3-4-02, 3-24-03, 4-30-06, 7-8-09, 2-3-10, 6-26-13.