How many continuing education hours are required during a reporting period?

PTs licensed in New Jersey must compete thirty (30) credits of continuing education every two (2) years.

New Licensees: An applicant for biennial license renewal as a licensed PT or as a licensed PTA who receives an initial license in the first year of a biennial period shall complete a minimum of fifteen (15) of the thirty (30) required credits of continuing education during that biennial renewal period.

An applicant for biennial license renewal as a licensed PT or as a licensed PTA who receives an initial license in the second year of a biennial period shall be exempt from completing continuing education credits during that biennial renewal period.

PTAs licensed in New Jersey must complete thirty (30) credits of continuing education every two (2) years.

How is credit hour defined?

An hour of continuing education means sixty (60) minutes of instructional time spent in learning activities, exclusive of breaks, meals, pre-tests, or vendor exhibits.

Can CE credits be carried over into the next reporting period?

Unclear.  “A licensee applying for biennial licensure renewal shall complete, during the preceding biennial period, the continuing education requirement”.

Are there any specific requirements for continuing education?

Four (4) hours of jurisprudence and professional ethics.

Licensees must complete a 1.5-credit Jurisprudence Assessment Module offered by one of the sponsors listed on the New Jersey State Board of Physical Therapy Examiners’ website for the jurisprudence portion of the requirement. Licensees can complete any ethics course (distance learning or live) of 2.5 credits or more to meet the four-credit jurisprudence and professional ethics requirement.

What types of activities can be used for the continuing education requirements?

Completion of a Post-Graduate Course
Description	Successful completion of a post-graduate course in a physical therapy program leading to a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree for the licensed physical therapist or a three-credit course in an entry level physical therapy program for the licensed physical therapist assistant. Such programs must be in institutions of higher learning, which are accredited by the United States Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education or their approved agencies.
Hours Earned	Fifteen (15) credits for each course credit awarded.
Maximum	N/A

Academic Course
Description	Successful completion of a course in an academic program related to the practice of physical therapy provided that such course is not part of the physical therapy program completed by the licensee to meet the educational requirements for initial licensure under N.J.A.C. 13:39A-5.1 or 5.2.
Hours Earned	Fifteen (15) credits for each course credit awarded.
Maximum	N/A

Continuing Education Course
Description	Successful completion of a continuing education course sponsored by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), or the American Physical Therapy Association of New Jersey (APTANJ).
Hours Earned	One (1) credit for each hour of the course.
Maximum	N/A

The Board shall grant a maximum of ten (10) of the mandatory thirty (30) continuing education credits required in a biennial renewal period of licensed physical therapists and licensed physical therapist assistants from any or all of the following:

Correspondence Course
Description	Successful completion of videotape, audiotape, computer media, Internet, journal, or correspondence courses, programs or seminars.  Credit for correspondence and other individual study courses or programs shall be provided only in the renewal period in which the course is completed with a successful final examination.
Hours Earned	One (1) credit for each hour of the course.
Maximum	Ten (10) credit hours.

Courses consisting of Hands-on Demonstrations of Instrumentation
Description	Successful completion of courses, programs or seminars consisting of hands-on demonstrations of instrumentation when accompanied by didactic lectures.
Hours Earned	One-half (0.5) credit for each hour of attendance.
Maximum	Ten (10) credit hours.

Presentation of a Board-approved Continuing Professional Education Course
Description	Preparation and presentation of a Board-approved continuing professional education course, program or seminar.  For purposes of this subsection, "new" means a course, program or seminar that the licensee has not taught previously in any educational setting.
Hours Earned	Two (2) credits for each hour of a new presentation. One (1) credit for each hour of a presentation shall be given for subsequent sessions involving substantially identical subject matter.
Maximum	Ten (10) credit hours.

Preparation of an Educational or Scientific Article
Description	Preparation of an educational or scientific article authored and published in a professional refereed journal.
Hours Earned	Three (3) credits per article as approved by the Board.
Maximum	Ten (10) credit hours.

PT Practice Management
Description	Courses, programs or seminars in physical therapy practice management.
Hours Earned	One (1) credit for each hour of attendance.
Maximum	Ten (10) credit hours

Writing a Chapter is a Textbook
Description	Writing a chapter of a published textbook related to physical therapy.
Hours Earned	Three (3) credits per chapter.
Maximum	Ten (10) credit hours.

Editing a Published Text Book
Description	Editing a published textbook related to physical therapy.
Hours Earned	Five (5) credits per book.
Maximum	Ten (10) credit hours.

Certification in a Clinical Specialty
Description	A licensed physical therapist who becomes certified or recertified in a clinical specialty by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties.
Hours Earned	Fifteen (15) continuing education credits for the biennial licensure period in which it takes place.
Maximum	N/A

Residency or Fellowship
Description	A licensed physical therapist who successfully completes a residency or fellowship approved by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).
Hours Earned	Fifteen (15) continuing education credits for the biennial licensure period in which the residency takes place.
Maximum	N/A

Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy Practice Review Tool
Description	A licensed physical therapist who completes the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) Practice Review Tool (PRT).
Hours Earned	Ten (10) continuing education credits for the biennial licensure period in which the PRT is taken.
Maximum	N/A

Clinical Instruction
Description	A licensed physical therapist or licensed physical therapist assistant who provides clinical instruction to a student in a clinical facility that is affiliated with a physical therapy program that is approved for the education and training of physical therapists or licensed physical therapist assistants by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education.
Hours Earned	One (1) credit for each forty (40) hours of clinical instruction.
Maximum	Four (4) credits per biennial period

Are there limitations on the types of courses that can be taken?

A maximum of ten (10) of the mandatory thirty (30) continuing education credits from any or all of the following:

• Videotape, audiotape, computer media, Internet, journal, or correspondence courses, programs or seminars: a maximum of ten (10) credits per course, program or seminar. The course, program or seminar shall include an examination at its end.
• Programs or seminars consisting of hands-on demonstrations of instrumentation when accompanied by didactic lectures: one-half (0.5) credit for each hour of attendance.
• Preparation and presentation of a Board-approved continuing education course, program or seminar: two (2) credits for each hour of new presentation up to a maximum of ten (10) credits.  “New” means a course, program or seminar that the licensee has not taught previously in any educational setting. One (1) credit for each hour of a presentation shall be given for subsequent sessions involving substantially identical subject matter up to a maximum of ten (10) credits, provided the original material has been updated and subject to the credit limits of N.J.A.C. 13:39A-9.3.
• Preparation of an educational or scientific article authored and published in a professional refereed journal: three credits per article as approved by the Board.
• Courses, programs or seminars in physical therapy practice management: one credit for each hour of attendance.

What type of approval is needed for the courses?

Courses offered by the APTA or the APTANJ are automatically preapproved.  All other course must be preapproved by the board.

What type of courses or activities are not allowed?

Not Specified.

What are the reporting requirements?

Each licensee shall maintain a record of all continuing education activity completed and shall submit evidence of completion of the credit requirements to the Board upon request.

What documentation needs to be retained?

Each licensee shall obtain from the continuing education course, program or seminar provider and retain for a period of at least four (4) years following the license renewal a record of attendance which shall include, at a minimum, the following:

• The participant's name and State Board of Physical Therapy Examiners' license number;
• The title and, if the title does not adequately describe the educational content, subject matter of the course, program or seminar;
• The name of the instructor;
• The course, program or seminar provider;
•  The date and location of the course, program or seminar;
• The number of continuing education credits awarded; and
• The signature of a course, program or seminar official or other verification of successful completion by the course, program or seminar provider.

How long must continuing education records be retained?

Four (4) Years

Can I get a waiver or extension on my CE requirements?

The Board may waive, extend or otherwise modify the time period for completion of the continuing education requirements on an individual basis for reasons of hardship, such as illness, disability or active service in the military.

A licensee who seeks a waiver, extension or modification of the time period for the completion of the continuing education requirements shall provide to the Board in writing, no less than two (2) months prior to the end of the licensure period, the specific reasons for requesting the waiver, extension or modification and such additional information as the Board may require in support of the request.

What happens if I am audited?

The Board shall monitor compliance with the mandatory continuing education requirement by conducting a random audit of licensees, who, upon request, shall provide proof of successful completion of continuing education credits.

References

NJAC 13:39A-9.1

NJAC 13:39A-9.2

NJAC 13:39A-9.3

NJAC 13:39A-9.4

NJAC 13:39A-9.5