Approved Activities - Board-approved activities for which a licensee may receive CEU credit, but which are not subject to a formal evaluative process. Approved Activities are assigned a set CEU value measured in contact hours based on the criteria established herein, with one (1) contact hour equaling one-tenth (.1) of an hours of CEU credit.

Board - The South Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners.

CEU or Continuing Education Unit - Ten (10) contact hours of participation in Certified Activities and/or participation in Approved Activities as set forth herein.

Certified Activities - Board-approved activities for which a licensee may receive CEU credit. Certified Activities are measured in contact hours, with one (1) contact hour equaling one-tenth (.1) of an hour of CEU credit. A certified activity must be subject to an evaluative process to determine if the activity meets a minimal threshold of required criteria and how well that activity meets that criteria.

Continuing Education - An organized educational program designed to expand a licensee’s knowledge base beyond the basic entry level educational requirements for PTs and PTAs. Course content must relate to patient care in physical therapy whether the subject is research, treatment, documentation, education, or management.

Contact Hour - A minimum of fifty (50) minutes of instruction or participation in Certified Activities or Approved Activities.

Continuing Competency - The ongoing ability of a PT or PTA to learn, integrate, and apply the knowledge, skill and judgment to practice as a PT and/or PTA according to generally accepted standards and professional ethical standards as defined by the Board.

On-Site Supervision - Supervision provided by a PT or PTA who must be:

• Continuously on site and present in the department or facility where the supervisee is performing services;
• Immediately available to assist the supervisee in the services being performed;
• Maintain continued involvement in appropriate aspects of each treatment session in which a component of treatment is delegated to the supervisee.

Person - An individual.

Physical Therapist - A person who has met all the conditions of this chapter and is licensed in this South Carolina to practice physical therapy.

Physical Therapist Assistant - A person who is licensed by the board to assist a PT in the practice of physical therapy and whose activities are supervised and directed by a PT whose license is in good standing.

Physical Therapy - The care and services provided by or under the direction and supervision of a licensed PT.

Physical Therapy Aide - A non-licensed person who helps the PT or PTA but whose duties do not require an understanding of physical therapy nor formal training in anatomical, biological, or physical sciences.

Practice of Physical Therapy - The evaluation and treatment of human beings to detect, assess, prevent, correct, alleviate, and limit physical disability, bodily malfunction, and pain from injury, disease, and any other bodily or mental condition and includes the administration, interpretation, documentation, and evaluation of physical therapy tests and measurements of bodily functions and structures; the establishment, administration, evaluation, and modification of a physical therapy treatment plan which includes the use of physical, chemical, or mechanical agents, activities, instruction, and devices for prevention and therapeutic purposes.

Student - An individual enrolled in a board-approved physical therapist or physical therapist assistant program while engaged in completing the clinical education requirement for graduation.

Reference

S.C. Code Ann. § 40-45-20

S.C. Code Regs. 101-1