1. Sections 334.800 to 334.930 shall be known and may be cited as the “Respiratory Care Practice Act”.

2. For the purposes of sections 334.800 to 334.930, the following terms mean:

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(1) “Board”, the Missouri board for respiratory care, established in section 334.830;

(2) “Certified respiratory therapist” or “CRT”, a person meeting entry-level qualifying educational requirements, having passed the certification examination and having been certified by the certifying entity;

(3) “Certifying entity”, the cognitive competency testing organization as authorized by the board;

(4) “Continuing education”, the offering of instruction or information to license holders for the purpose of maintaining or increasing skills necessary for the safe and competent practice of respiratory care;

(5) “CRT” and “RRT”, abbreviations for certified respiratory therapist and registered respiratory therapist and are registered trademarks of a certifying entity of the National Board for Respiratory Care but does not include certified clinical perfusionists;

(6) “Direct clinical supervision”, availability of a licensed respiratory care practitioner for purposes of immediate communication and consultation with, and the assistance of, the permit holder;

(7) “Division”, the division of professional registration;

(8) “Practice of respiratory care”, as provided in section 334.810;

(9) “Protocol”, a written agreement of medical care plan delegating professional responsibilities to a person who is qualified by training, competency, experience or licensure to perform such responsibilities. A protocol is a defined response to a specific clinical situation and shall be written, signed and dated by a physician prior to its implementation;

(10) “Registered respiratory therapist” or “RRT”, a person meeting advanced-level qualifying professional educational requirements, having passed the registry examination and having been registered by the certifying entity;

(11) “Respiratory care”, the allied health profession whose practitioners function under the supervision of a physician or in accordance with clinical protocols accepted by the physician in the administration of pharmacologic, diagnostic and therapeutic agents related to respiratory care necessary to implement or modify diagnostic regimes, treatment, disease prevention or pulmonary rehabilitation of patients with deficiencies and abnormalities associated with the cardiopulmonary system;

(12) “Respiratory care practitioner”, a person:

(a) Duly licensed by the board;

(b) Employed in the practice of respiratory care who has the knowledge and skill necessary to administer respiratory care as defined in this section;

(c) Who is able to function in situations of unsupervised patient contact requiring individual judgment; and

(d) Who is capable of serving as a resource to the physician in relation to the technical aspects of respiratory care as to safe and effective methods for administering respiratory care modalities;

(13) “Special training”:

(a) Is a deliberate systematic educational activity in the affective, psychomotor and cognitive domains;

(b) Is intended to develop new proficiencies with an application in mind;

(c) Is presented with an attention to needs, objectives, activities and a defined means of evaluation.