90-632. License renewal and continuing education.

The license to practice under this Article shall be renewed every two years. When renewing a license, each licensee shall submit to the Board evidence of the successful completion of at least 25 hours of study, as approved by the Board, during the immediately preceding two years, in the practice of massage and bodywork therapy.

SECTION .0700 - CONTINUING EDUCATION

1. Pursuant to G.S. 90-632, a licensee, when renewing a license, shall document that they have completed at least 25 contact hours of approved continuing education during the immediately preceding licensure period, provided the licensure period is two years or more. If the licensure period is less than two years, but more than one year, the licensee shall document that they have completed at least 12 contact hours of approved continuing education.
2. For the purposes of this Section, "approved continuing education" means a course offered as follows:
   1. by an approved provider as defined in Rule .0702;
   2. or a course approved by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM); or
   3. a course in anatomy, physiology, pathology or business management taken at a post secondary institution of higher learning.
3. Distance learning, as defined in Rule .0702 of this Section, shall not comprise more than 12 hours of the required continuing education hours per licensure period.
4. Licensees shall document that they have completed at least three contact hours of continuing education in professional ethics as defined in Rule .0702 of this Section, out of the minimum of 25 hours of approved continuing education required for license renewal. This may be obtained through supervised classroom instruction or distance learning.
5. Business management, as defined in Rule .0702 of this Section, shall not comprise more than three hours of the minimum 25 hours of approved continuing education required for license renewal.
6. Licensees shall ensure that each continuing education course for which they claim credit on their application for renewal of licensure is consistent with the definitions and requirements set forth in this Section.
7. The Board may audit licensees at random to assure compliance with these requirements.

The following definitions apply to this Section:
1. Continuing education. -- Learning experiences that enhance and expand the skills, knowledge, and attitudes of massage and bodywork therapists that enable them to render competent professional service to clients, the profession and the public.
2. Distance learning. -- Courses taken by home study that are produced by an approved provider, whether delivered by videotape, audiotape, printed materials, or computer-based means. The licensee shall demonstrate achievement of learning objectives and completion of course requirements to the provider before credit is given.
3. One "contact hour" of continuing education. -- At least 50 minutes of any one clock hour during which the student participates in a learning activity in the physical presence of an instructor, or in a distance learning activity designed by an approved provider. One semester credit hour at a post-secondary institution shall be equivalent to 16 contact hours.
4. Professional ethics. -- A system of conduct guided by principles which are intended to ensure the safe and effective practice of massage and bodywork therapy. Acceptable subject matter for required professional ethics courses may include: compliance with Practice Act and Rules of the Board, management of the client/therapist relationship, boundary functions, professional communication skills, conflict resolution, cultural diversity issues, and standards of practice.
5. Business management. -- Courses that enable the licensee to learn and apply business skills to create a successful professional practice.
6. Post secondary institution of higher learning – A degree granting institution accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education.
7. Approved provider. -- One that has been granted the designation of "Approved Provider for Continuing Education" by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB). The provider shall have this designation when the course begins and shall maintain this designation continuously until the course is completed. The Board does not recognize any retroactive designation of provider approval. Except as herein stated, the provider shall follow all regulations set forth by its accrediting agency. The Board may also recognize a verifiable continuing education provider outside the United States or its territories that is a post-secondary institution of higher learning approved by the educational regulation authority of that foreign country.