Continuing Education Requirements
Continuing Education Requirements
The North Dakota Board of Clinical Laboratory Practice requires documentation of 24 contact hours of continuing education for the two-year licensing period.
- 24 contact hours are required if licensed after June thirtieth of the even-numbered year and
before July first of the odd-numbered year.
- 12 contact hours are required if licensed after June thirtieth and on or before December thirtyfirst
of the odd-numbered year.
- 0 contact hours are required if licensed on or after January first of an even-numbered year.
Calculation of hours
A contact hour for continuing education is based on a 50-minute hour. The minimum program length has been established as one contact hour. The event may be a combination of 2 meetings, with reading or study material assigned at the first meeting and the second meeting could involve a lecture or discussion of the study assignment.
The equations listed below should assist you in understanding and calculating your hours:
1 contact hour = 50 minutes
0.1 CEU = 1 contact hour
0.2 CEU = 2 contact hours
1.0 CEU = 10 contact hours
2.0 CEU = 20 contact hours
Continuing Education Content
All continuing education must relate directly to or be supportive of clinical laboratory practice and enhance your ability to improve your skills and/or knowledge of laboratory practice. Continuing education includes:
- Workshops, refresher courses, professional conferences, seminars, and educational programs presented by providers approved by the Board;
- Presentations by licensee - professional presentation or community service organziation presentation. There is a limit of no more than 3 hours which may be earned for a community or service organization presentation. There is no limit on hours that may be earned for professional presentations. A presentation may be counted only one time;
- Formal academic coursework - one credit hour class is equal to ten contact hours;
- Formal self-study course with a completion certificate - there is no limt on hours;
- Research approved by the Board;
- Supervised clinical practice approved by the Board;
- Facility-based continuing education program.
Programs must be a minimum of 50 minutes in length. This can be divided into sessions given at subsequent times on closely related topics. The content must focus on improving or updating the clinical laboratory knowledge of the practitioner. It can be in any of the technical disciplines (Chemistry, Microbiology, Hematology, Serology, Immunohematology, etc.), in management, or legislation.
All hours must be submitted on the Continuing Education Verification Record as well as copies of completion certificates at the same time you submit your application for license renewal. The Continuing Education Verification Record must be either signed by your supervisor attesting you completed any facility-based hours listed or submitted with a copy of your institutional records showing your completion of the facility-based hours listed.
Nonacceptable Topics
Nonacceptable topics include courses in general safety not directly related to clinical laboratory practice, annual training required by a medical facility such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation or first aid, breath alcohol instrument training, personal reading of professional journals, committee meetings, computer classes, personal enrichment courses, and programs delivered through the mass media.
