Alaska Physical Therapy CEU Requirements

Approval status

Approved

Our courses help you reach required Alaska Contact Hours. Learn more about Alaska Physical Therapy CEU Requirements

Course acceptance for these courses

These courses are accepted for Alaska contact hours. That acceptance is not a determination by the Alaska Board of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy.

The board’s continuing-education FAQ says the board does not preapprove courses or activities. Choose activities that relate to professional competency and the scope of practice, then confirm them before you count the hours.

Contact hours in 12 AAC 54.410

12 AAC 54.410(a) requires 24 contact hours during the concluding licensing period for a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant who has been licensed for 12 months or more of that period. A licensee who has been licensed for less than 12 months of that period must complete 12 contact hours during the period, or must have passed the national physical therapy examination within the 12 months immediately before the license is due to lapse.

At least one-half of the required contact hours must be completed in courses or programs offered by an accredited academic institution or a professional organization approved by the board under 12 AAC 54.420(a). One contact hour equals a minimum of 50 minutes of instruction. One continuing education unit awarded by a professional health care association equals 10 contact hours. Records of claimed contact hours must be kept for three years from the date the contact hours were obtained and must be available to the board on request.

The board FAQ says licenses expire on June 30 of even-numbered years, except a new license issued within 90 days of the expiration date, which is issued into the next biennium. The period is biennial.

Courses recognized under 12 AAC 54.420

12 AAC 54.420(a) approves the following activities only when they also meet subsection (c):

• Courses recognized by the Alaska Physical Therapy Association, the American Physical Therapy Association, the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy, another state physical therapy association, or another state physical therapy licensing board.
• American Medical Association category one and two continuing education that involves physical therapy.
• Continuing education sponsored by a professional organization or university approved by the Alaska Physical Therapy Association or the American Physical Therapy Association.

Subsection (c) says the board accepts a course when it contributes directly to the professional competency of a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant and is directly related to the skills and knowledge required to implement physical therapy, as defined in AS 08.84.190.

These courses are approved by the Florida Physical Therapy Association, a state physical therapy association. Confirm with the Alaska board that the certificate is recognized under 12 AAC 54.420 and that the nutrition content meets subsection (c) before you count the hours. Routine staff meetings, rounds, and routine employment courses such as CPR, first aid, and OSHA training are not accepted under 12 AAC 54.410(e).

What the courses cover

The courses are 4 contact hours each, or 12 contact hours as a bundle. Prices are on the course and bundle pages. Those links open the course pages. They do not complete enrollment.

• Foundational nutrition: macronutrients, micronutrients, calories, and requirements for a healthy population.
• Dietary patterns, including the standard American diet, Mediterranean diets, and plant-based diets.
• How food marketing can affect everyday food choices.
• Label reading for sugars and other nutrients.
• Dietary screening tools used in a physical therapy setting.
• Nutrients related to healing, tissue recovery, and rehabilitation.

References

• 12 AAC 54.410, physical therapy continuing education requirements
• 12 AAC 54.420, approved physical therapy courses and activities
• Alaska Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Board, continuing education FAQ