Qualifications For Licensure

(1) To qualify for licensure as an occupational therapist, an applicant must: (a) Be of good moral character; (b) Have successfully completed the academic requirements of an educational program for occupational therapists accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) or its predecessor organization; (c) Have successfully completed the supervised fieldwork experience required by ACOTE; and (d) Pass the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy Examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy; or be eligible for licensure as provided in T.C.A. § 63-13-213. (2) To be eligible for licensure as an occupational therapy assistant, an applicant must: (a) Be of good moral character; (b) Have successfully completed the academic requirements of an educational program for occupational therapy assistants accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) or its predecessor organization; (c) Have successfully completed the supervised fieldwork experience required by ACOTE; and (d) Pass the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy Examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy; or be eligible for licensure as provided in T.C.A. § 63-13-213. (3) If the date of application for licensure as either an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant is more than three (3) years following successful completion of the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy Examination and the applicant is not currently practicing in another state and applying for a Tennessee license by reciprocity, the applicant may be subject to additional requirements for licensure to be determined by the Board including, but not limited to the following: (a) Engage in a formalized process of self-assessment through the use of the AOTA professional development tool. GENERAL RULES GOVERNING THE PRACTICE OF CHAPTER 1150-02 OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY (b) Submit documentation that applicant has attended and successfully completed a minimum of ten (10) hours of formal learning related to the occupational therapy service delivery for each year between the original qualification for licensure and actual application for licensure, at least twenty (20) of which must have occurred within the twenty-four (24) months prior to application and must relate to the area of practice in which the applicant intends to practice; or (c) Must have a minimum of two (2) hours of continuing education in the area of ethics; one (1) hour of continuing education in Tennessee jurisprudence and a minimum of two (2) hours of continuing education in the area of documentation. These continuing education hours should be obtained within twenty-four (24) months prior to the application. (d) Upon licensure approval by the Board as either an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant, a licensee is required to be supervised during their first twelve (12) months of practice by a licensed occupational therapist in good standing. If the relationship between supervisor and licensee should cease before the expiration of the twelve (12) months, licensee must obtain a new supervisor and notify the Board of the name of the new supervisor within thirty (30) days of obtaining the new supervisor. (4) Certification in the use of physical agent modalities (a) Electrical stimulation certification - To be eligible for certification in electrical stimulation, an applicant must: 1. Meet all qualifications in paragraph (1) or (2) of this rule and all applicable procedures in Rule 1150-02-.05; and 2. Submit documentation of current certification from the Hand Therapy Certification Commission; or 3. Successfully complete Board-approved training that shall consist of a total of twenty-five (25) contact hours of didactic and laboratory experiences which include five (5) treatments on clinical patients to be supervised by licensees who hold certification pursuant to subparagraph (a) or by a physical therapist currently licensed in the United States. The treatments shall be from the following categories, and at least one (1) treatment shall be from each category: (i) Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (ii) Electrical stimulation for pain control (iii) Edema reduction 4. If applicant is seeking certification in the use of physical agent modalities, as provided in paragraph (4) of this rule, the applicant shall present to the Board’s administrative office proof of successful completion of didactic and clinical training that has been completed within the two (2) years preceding the submission of the application for certification. (b) Thermal agents certification - To be eligible for certification in the use of thermal agents, an applicant must: 1. Meet all qualifications in paragraph (1) or (2) of this rule and all applicable procedures in Rule 1150-02-.05; and GENERAL RULES GOVERNING THE PRACTICE OF CHAPTER 1150-02 OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY 2. Submit documentation of current certification from the Hand Therapy Certification Commission; or 3. Successfully complete Board-approved training that shall consist of a total of twenty (20) contact hours of didactic and laboratory experiences which include ten (10) treatments on clinical patients to be supervised by licensees who hold certification pursuant to subparagraph (b) or by a physical therapist currently licensed in the United States. Five (5) of the ten (10) treatments shall utilize ultrasound. The treatments shall be from the following categories, and at least one (1) treatment shall be from each category: (i) Superficial heating agents (ii) Cryotherapy (iii) Deep heating agents 4. If an applicant is seeking certification in the use of physical agent modalities, as provided in paragraph (4) of this rule, the applicant shall present to the Board’s administrative office proof of successful completion of didactic and clinical training that has been completed within two (2) years preceding the submission of the application for certification. (c) Dry Needling of the Upper Limb Certification - To be eligible for certification in the use of dry needling of the upper limb, an applicant must: 1. Meet all qualifications in paragraphs one (1) through three (3) of this rule and all applicable procedures in Rule 1150-02-.05; 2. Submit an Application for Certification to Use Physical Agent Modalities Dry Needling of the Upper Limb to the Board; and 3. Meet all other requirements, as outlined in 1150-02-.21. (d) Training. The continuous supervision of fieldwork students who are training to be certified in the use of physical agent modalities is required at all times. Such supervision shall only be provided by an occupational therapist who is currently licensed in Tennessee and is currently certified in Tennessee in the use of physical agent modalities. 1. Approval of all training courses shall be made by the Board. The required training for electrical stimulation and thermal agents certification may be obtained through: (i) Colleges and universities approved for training occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants by the American Occupational Therapy Association, or physical therapists and physical therapy assistants by the American Physical Therapy Association, or at clinical facilities affiliated with such accredited colleges or universities; or (ii) The American Society of Hand Therapists; or (iii) Any approved provider offering a Board-approved course. GENERAL RULES GOVERNING THE PRACTICE OF CHAPTER 1150-02 OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY 2. The training for the therapeutic use of electrical stimulation devices shall provide competency in the following areas: (i) Standards (I) The expected outcome or treatments with therapeutic electrical current (TEC) must be consistent with the goals of treatment. (II) Treatment of TEC must be safe, administered to the correct area, and be of proper dosage. (ii) Correct dosage and mode (I) Ability to determine the duration and mode of current appropriate to the patient’s neurophysiological status while understanding Ohm’s law of electricity, physical laws related to the passage of current through various media, as well as impedance. (II) Ability to describe normal electrophysiology of nerve and muscle; understanding generation of bioelectrical signals in nerve and muscle; recruitment of motor units in normal muscle and in response to a variety of external stimuli. (III) Ability to describe normal and abnormal tissue responses to external electrical stimuli while understanding the differing responses to varieties of current duration, frequency and intensity of stimulation. (iii) Selection of method and equipment (I) Ability to identify equipment with the capability of producing the pre- selected duration and mode. (II) Ability to describe characteristics of electrotherapeutic equipment and understanding of the therapeutic value of different electrotherapeutic equipment. (III) Ability to describe safety regulations governing the use of electro- therapeutic equipment. (IV) Ability to describe principles of electrical currents. (V) Ability to describe requirements/idiosyncrasies of body areas and pathological conditions with respect to electrotherapeutic treatment. (iv) Preparation of treatment (I) Ability to prepare the patient for treatment through positioning and adequate instructions. (II) Ability to explain to the patient the benefits expected of the electrotherapeutic treatment. (v) Treatment administration GENERAL RULES GOVERNING THE PRACTICE OF CHAPTER 1150-02 OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY (I) Ability to correctly operate equipment and appropriately adjust the intensity and current while understanding rate of stimulator, identification of motor points, and physiological effects desired. (II) Ability to adjust the intensity and rate to achieve the optimal response, based on the pertinent evaluative data. (vi) Documentation of treatments - Ability to document treatment including immediate and long-term effects of therapeutic electrical current. 3. The training for the therapeutic use of thermal agents shall provide competency in the following areas: (i) Standards (I) The expected outcome or treatments with thermal agents must be consistent with the goals of treatment. (II) Treatment with thermal agents must be safe, administered to the correct area, and be the proper dosage. (III) Treatment with thermal agents must be adequately documented. (ii) Instrumentation (I) Ability to describe the physiological effects of thermal agents as well as differentiate tissue responses to the various modes of application. (II) Ability to select the appropriate thermal agent considering the area and conditions being treated. (III) Ability to describe equipment characteristics, indications, and contraindications for treatment, including identifying source and mechanisms of generation of thermal energy and its transmission through air and physical matter. (iii) Preparation for treatment (I) Ability to prepare the patient for treatment through positioning and adequate instruction. (II) Ability to explain to the patient the benefits expected of the thermal treatment. (iv) Determination of dosage - Ability to determine dosage through determination of target tissue depth, stage of the condition (acute vs. chronic), and application of power/dosage calculation rules as appropriate. (v) Treatment administration - Ability to administer treatment through identification of controls, sequence of operation, correct application techniques and application of all safety rules and precautions. (vi) Documentation of treatments - Ability to document treatment including immediate and long-term effects of thermal agents. GENERAL RULES GOVERNING THE PRACTICE OF CHAPTER 1150-02 OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY (5) Internationally trained applicants. Applicants for licensure who have completed educational programs outside the United States shall comply with the general application procedures outlined by the Board in these rules, in addition to furnishing proof of compliance with the requirements of T.C.A. § 63-13-214. (6) In determining the qualifications of applicants for licensure as an occupational therapist or as an occupational therapy assistant, only a majority vote of the Board of Occupational Therapy shall be required.