Continuing Education Insight
Washington Continuing Education Update
By: Lindsey Tatum, Milestone Continuing Education
When I think of Washington State, several images come to mind: cold Pacific shorelines, whale watching, the Space Needle in Seattle, and I can't leave out Starbucks. 'Tis the season for pumpkin spice lattes, after all! Here's a few quick facts about Starbucks, while we're on the topic: the company started in 1971 with their first location nestled in Pike's Place Market in Seattle. Now there are over 19,000 locations in more than 60 countries! Think about that the next time you order your Grande Chai Latte with low fat whipped cream!
Now enough with the coffee shop trivia. Let's move on to the important stuff. Pour yourself a cup of your favorite hot beverage and allow me to pour over Washington's Occupational Therapy CE requirements.
OT practitioners (that's OTs and OTAs) in the "Evergreen State" are required to complete 30 hours of continuing education in order to qualify for license renewal. At least twenty (20) hours of the OT continuing education requirement must directly cover the practice of occupational therapy. The remaining 10 hours can focus on other topics related to occupational therapy. The 30 hours of occupational therapy continuing education courses are due on the practitioner's birthday every two (2) years.
Occupational therapists and assistants can obtain their hours through a variety of activities (listed here on the Washington State Legislature website). Practitioners can opt for occupational therapy seminars, presentations, conferences and online CE courses or a combination of all of these. For busy OTs and OTAs that are trying to juggle professional, family, and personal responsibilities, the choice is obvious: online CE is the way to go!
While completing the license renewal process may be the last thing you want to do leading up to your birthday, we believe continuing education is the gift that keeps on giving! Keeping an edge on your skills and techniques not only benefits you and your practice, but those you treat as well. When the ability to live life to its fullest is at stake, the extra effort and preparation on your part can make all the difference!
For more information regarding Washington State board rules and regulations, please visit their website.
This post was provided by Lindsey Tatum from Milestone Continuing Education.
https://www.MilestoneCE.com/
Milestone Continuing Education (7487) is an AOTA Approved Provider for Occupational Therapy and Occupational Therapy Assistant online continuing competency. Look for our discount on the homepage of RehabEdge.com.
Disclaimer: It is ultimately the responsibility of the practitioner to be aware of changes to their continuing education requirements. Check your state board’s website to insure you are up to date on your requirements, as they frequently change.
