645—261.5(148G,152B) Requirements for dual licensure. The following are additional specific criteria for licensure as a respiratory care and polysomnography practitioner. An applicant for licensure as a respiratory care and polysomnography practitioner shall meet the requirements of subrules 261.5(1) and 261.5(2).
	261.5(1) The applicant shall have successfully completed a respiratory care education program accredited by, or under a letter of review from, CoARC or CAAHEP.
	a. 	Foreign-trained practitioners shall:
	(1)	Provide an equivalency evaluation of their educational credentials by International Education Research Foundation, Inc., Credentials Evaluation Service; or International Credentialing Associates, Inc. The professional curriculum must be equivalent to that stated in these rules. The candidate will bear the expense of the curriculum evaluation.
	(2)	Provide a copy of the certificate or diploma awarded to the applicant from the program in the country in which the applicant was educated.
	(3)	Receive a final determination from the board regarding the application for licensure.
	b. 	Examination requirements. The examinations required by the board shall be the Therapist Multiple-Choice Examination administered by the NBRC and either the Sleep Disorders Specialist Examination (SDS) administered by the NBRC or the Registered Polysomnographic Technologist Examination administered by the BRPT. The minimum passing score established by the NBRC or BRPT is required.
	c. 	Results of the examination. Results of the examination must be received by the board of respiratory care and polysomnography by one of the following methods:
	(1)	Scores are sent directly from the examination service to the board;
	(2)	A copy of a certificate showing proof of the successful achievement of the CRT or RRT credential awarded by the NBRC submitted to the board; or
	(3)	A copy of the score report or an electronic web-based confirmation by the NBRC showing proof of successful completion of the Therapist Multiple-Choice Examination, State Clinical Examination, or Certified Respiratory Therapist Examination administered by the NBRC submitted to the board.
	261.5(2) The applicant must also meet one of the following requirements:
	a. 	Graduation from a polysomnographic educational program accredited by CAAHEP, with the transcript sent directly from the college or university to the board; or
	b. 	Completion of a sleep specialist program option accredited by CoARC or CAAHEP with the transcript submitted to the board office directly from the college or university; and direct-source verification of one of the following:
	(1)	Completion of the curriculum for a polysomnographic certificate established and accredited by the CAAHEP as an extension of the respiratory care program, or
	(2)	Obtaining the sleep disorder specialist credential from the NBRC, or
	(3)	Obtaining the registered polysomnographic technologist credential from the BRPT; or
	c. 	Graduation from an electroneurodiagnostic technologist program with a polysomnographic technology track that is accredited by CAAHEP, with the transcript submitted to the board office directly from the college or university; or
	d. 	Hold an active license under Iowa Code section 147.2 in a profession other than polysomnography that is in good standing with the board for that profession and provide verification from the medical director of the applicant’s current employer or the medical director’s designee that the applicant has completed on-the-job training in the field of polysomnography and is competent to perform polysomnography.
[ARC 8073C, IAB 6/26/24, effective 7/31/24]