(a) As a prerequisite to the registration of a surgical
assistant's license, 36 hours of continuing education (CE) in surgical
assisting or in courses that enhance the practice of surgical assisting
are required to be completed every 24 months in the following categories:
(1) at least 18 of the hours are to be from formal
courses that are:
(A) designated for AMA/PRA Category I credit by a CE
sponsor accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical
Education;
(B) approved for prescribed credit by the Association
of Surgical Technologists/ Association of Surgical Assistants, the
American Board of Surgical Assistants, or the National Surgical Assistants
Association;
(C) approved by the Texas Medical Association based
on standards established by the AMA; or
(D) designated for AOA Category 1-A credit approved
by the American Osteopathic Association.
(2) At least two of the formal hours of CE which are
required by paragraph (1) of this subsection must involve the study
of medical ethics and/or professional responsibility. Whether a particular
hour of CE involves the study of medical ethics and/or professional
responsibility shall be determined by the organizations which are
enumerated in paragraph (1) of this subsection as part of their course
planning.
(3) As part of the required hours set forth under paragraph
(1) of this subsection, a course in human trafficking prevention approved
by the executive commissioner of the Texas Health and Human Services
Commission must be completed. The course shall be approved by the
Board to be credited toward the required medical ethics or professional
responsibility hours set forth under paragraph (2) of this subsection.
(4) The remaining 18 hours may be composed of informal
self-study, attendance at hospital lectures or grand rounds not approved
for formal CE, or case conferences and shall be recorded in a manner
that can be easily transmitted to the board upon request.
(b) A licensed surgical assistant must report on the
license renewal application if he or she has completed the required
continuing education since the licensee last registered with the board.
A licensee who timely registers, may apply CE credit hours retroactively
to the preceding biennial registration period requirement, however,
those hours may be counted only toward one registration permit. A
licensee may carry forward CE credit hours earned prior to a registration
report which are in excess of the 36-hour requirement and such excess
hours may be applied to the renewal period's requirements, except
for the course in human trafficking prevention required under subsection
(a)(3) of this section. A maximum of 36 total excess credit hours
may be carried forward and shall be reported according to the categories
set out in subsection (a) of this section. Excess CE credit hours
of any type may not be carried forward or applied to a report of CE
more than two years beyond the date of the registration following
the period during which the hours were earned.
(c) A licensed surgical assistant may request in writing
an exemption for the following reasons:
(1) the licensee's catastrophic illness;
(2) the licensee's military service of longer than
one year's duration outside the state;
(3) the licensee's residence of longer than one year's
duration outside the United States; or
(4) good cause shown submitted in writing by the licensee
that gives satisfactory evidence to the board that the licensee is
unable to comply with the requirement for continuing education.
(d) Exemptions are subject to the approval of the executive
director of the board and must be requested in writing at least 30
days prior to the expiration date of the license.
(e) An exception under subsection (c) of this section
may not exceed two years but may be requested biennially, subject
to the approval of the executive director of the board.
(f) This section does not prevent the board from taking
board action with respect to a licensee or an applicant for a license
by requiring additional hours of continuing education or of specific
course subjects.
(g) The board may require written verification of both
formal and informal credits from any licensee within 30 days of request.
Failure to provide such verification may result in disciplinary action
by the board.
(h) Unless exempted under the terms of this section,
a licensee's apparent failure to obtain and timely report the 36 hours
of CE as required and provided for in this section shall result in
the denial of licensure renewal until such time as the licensee obtains
and reports the required CE hours; however, the executive director
of the board may issue to such a surgical assistant a temporary license
numbered so as to correspond to the nonrenewed license. Such a temporary
license shall be issued at the direction of the executive director
for a period of no longer than 90 days. A temporary license issued
pursuant to this subsection may be issued to allow the surgical assistant
who has not obtained or timely reported the required number of hours
an opportunity to correct any deficiency so as not to require termination
of ongoing patient care.
(i) CE hours that are obtained to comply with the CE
requirements for the prior biennial period as a prerequisite for obtaining
licensure renewal, shall first be credited to meet the CE requirements
for the previous period. Once the previous period's CE requirement
is satisfied, any additional hours obtained shall be credited to meet
the CE requirements for the current period.
(j) A false report or statement to the board by a licensee
regarding CE hours reportedly obtained shall be a basis for disciplinary
action by the board pursuant to §§206.302-.304 of the Act
and §§164.051-.053 of the Medical Practice Act, Tex. Occ.
Code Ann. A licensee who is disciplined by the board for such a violation
may be subject to the full range of actions authorized by the Act
including suspension or revocation of the surgical assistant's license,
but in no event shall such action be less than an administrative penalty
of $500.
(k) Unless otherwise exempted under the terms of this
section, failure to obtain and timely report CE hours for the renewal
of a license shall subject the licensee to a monetary penalty for
late registration in the amount set forth in Chapter 175 of this title
(relating to Fees, Penalties, and Applications). Any temporary CE
licensure fee and any administrative penalty imposed for failure to
obtain and timely report the 36 hours of CE required for renewal of
a license shall be in addition to the applicable penalties for late
registration or as set forth in Chapter 175 of this title (relating
to Fees, Penalties and Applications).
(l) A surgical assistant, who is a military service
member, may request an extension of time, not to exceed two years,
to complete any CE requirements.
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Source Note: The provisions of this §184.25 adopted to be effective April 27, 2003, 28 TexReg 3326; amended to be effective November 30, 2003, 28 TexReg 10493; amended to be effective January 24, 2016, 41 TexReg 623; amended to be effective July 7, 2016, 41 TexReg 4827; amended to be effective December 31, 2020, 45 TexReg 9523 |