As used in this chapter and RSA 328-F:
I. “Board” means the advisory board of respiratory care practitioners.
II. “Certified pulmonary function technician” or “CPFT” means a person having successfully completed and achieved a passing score on the entry level examination in pulmonary function and maintained the related credential issued by the National Board for Respiratory Care, Inc.
III. “Consultation by telecommunication” means that a respiratory care practitioner renders professional or expert opinion or advice via telecommunications or computer technology from another location. It includes the transfer of data or exchange of educational or related information by any means of audio, video, or data communications.
III-a. “Executive director” means the executive director of the office of professional licensure and certification or designee.
IV. “National Board for Respiratory Care, Inc.” or “NBRC” means the national voluntary health certifying board that evaluates the professional competence of respiratory therapists and pulmonary function technicians, or its successor organization.
V. “Nurse practitioner” means a person licensed to practice as an advanced practice registered nurse in this state pursuant to N.H. Rev. Stat. § 326-B:18.
VI. “Physician” means a person licensed to practice medicine in this state pursuant to RSA 329.
VII. “Physician assistant” means a person licensed to practice as a physician assistant pursuant to RSA 328-D.
VIII. “Registered polysomnographic technologist” or “RPSGT” means a person having successfully completed and achieved a passing score on the comprehensive registry examination for polysomnographic technologists administered by the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists or its successor organization.
IX. “Registered pulmonary function technologist” or “RPFT” means a person having successfully completed and achieved a passing score on the advanced level examination in pulmonary function and maintained the related credential issued by the National Board for Respiratory Care, Inc.
X. “Respiratory care” means the treatment, management, diagnostic testing and evaluation of responses to respiratory or medical treatment and care of individuals or groups of individuals either having deficiencies or abnormalities of the cardiopulmonary system or requiring support of the cardiopulmonary system. Respiratory care is given in accordance with the prescription of a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant. Respiratory care includes the implementation of respiratory care strategies and modalities, and the administration of pharmacological, diagnostic, and therapeutic agents necessary to implement a treatment, disease or injury prevention, rehabilitative or diagnostic regimen. Respiratory care includes, but is not limited to: initiating emergency procedures; providing health counseling and teaching; assembly, repair, testing and maintenance of respiratory equipment; and those respiratory care activities that require a substantial amount of scientific knowledge or technical skill.
XI. “Respiratory care educational program” means a program accredited by the American Medical Association’s Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation in collaboration with the Joint Review Committee for Respiratory Therapy Education, by the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care, or by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, or their successor organizations.
XII. “Respiratory care practitioner” means a person who is:
(a) Licensed in the practice or performance of respiratory care who has the knowledge and skill necessary to administer the functions defined in paragraph X of this section.
(b) Capable of serving as a resource in relation to the clinical and technical aspects of respiratory care as to the safe and effective methods for administering respiratory care modalities.
(c) Able to function in situations of unsupervised patient contact requiring individual judgment.
(d) Capable of supervising, directing, and teaching less skilled personnel in the provision of respiratory care services.