Licensing Requirements:

To qualify for licensure as a Respiratory Care Practitioner in Washington State, an applicant must:

• Have completed an accredited respiratory program with two-year curriculum. Applicants must have verification submitted directly from the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) to the department.

OR  

• Meet the educational criteria as established by the NBRC to sit for the NBRC's advanced practitioner exams, or who have been issued the registered respiratory therapist credential by the NBRC, shall be considered to have met the educational criteria, provided the criteria and credential continue to be recognized by the secretary as equal to or greater than the licensure standards in Washington. Applicants must have verification submitted directly from the NBRC to the Department.

Programs must be: Accredited by the Committee On Accreditation for Respiratory Care (COARC) or accredited by the American Medical Association's (AMA) Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation (CAHEA), or its successor, the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Program (CAAHEP).

The following must be completed in order to qualify to apply for licensure:

• Completed Washington State application form with signature and date.
• Application fee full licensure.
• Temporary practice permit fee, plus fee for full licensure.
• Official transcripts sent directly from the respiratory therapy education program showing the degree obtained (if applicable) and date.
• Verification of passing the NBRC entry-level examination.
• Verification of any out-of-state credentials sent directly from the other state to this office (if applicant has been or is currently credentialed in another state or jurisdiction).
• Certification of seven (7) hours of HIV/AIDS training (signature on application attestation is acceptable).

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