Iowa Admin. Code r. 481-901.3

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 11, December 11, 2024

Rule 481-901.3 - Internship and preceptorship

(1)Internship.

a. The intern must serve a minimum of one year of internship under the direct supervision of an Iowa board-certified preceptor. The beginning and ending dates of the internship will be indicated on the internship certificate. The intern will engage in the practice of mortuary science only during the time indicated on the internship certificate.

b. The intern will, during the internship, be a full-time employee with the funeral establishment at the site of internship except as provided in paragraph 901.3(2)"i."

c. No licensed funeral director will permit any person in the funeral director's employ or under the funeral director's supervision or control to serve an internship in funeral directing unless that person has a certificate of registration as a registered intern from the department of inspections, appeals, and licensing. The registration will be posted in a conspicuous place in the intern's primary place of practice.

d. Registered interns will not advertise or hold themselves out as funeral directors or use the degree F.D. or any other title or abbreviation indicating that the intern is a funeral director.

e. The intern will, during the internship, complete the requirements outlined in subrule 901.3(3), including to embalm not fewer than 25 human remains and direct or assist in the direction of not fewer than 25 funerals under the direct supervision of the certified preceptor and to submit reports on forms furnished by the department of inspections, appeals, and licensing. Work on the first five embalming cases, first five funeral arrangements, and first five funeral or memorial services must be completed in the physical presence of the preceptor. The first 12 embalming cases and the first 12 funeral case reports must be completed and submitted by the completion of the sixth month of the internship.

f. Before being eligible for licensure, the intern must have filed the 25 completed embalming and funeral directing case reports and a 6-month and a 12-month evaluation form with the department of inspections, appeals, and licensing. These reports will be answered in full and signed by both the intern and preceptor.

g. When, for any valid reason, the board determines that the education a registered intern is receiving under the supervision of the present preceptor might be detrimental to the intern or the profession at large, the intern may be required to serve the remainder of the internship under the supervision of a licensed funeral director who is approved by the board.

h. The length of an internship may be extended if the board determines that the intern requires additional time or supervision in order to meet the minimum proficiency in the practice of mortuary science.

i. The board views a one-year internship completed in a consecutive 12-month period as the best training option. If an internship is interrupted, the internship must be completed within 24 months of the date it started in order to be readily accepted by the board. Internships that are not completed within 24 months will be preapproved by the board on such terms as the board deems reasonable under the circumstances. The board may require any or all of the following:

(1) Completion of a college course or continuing education course covering mortuary science laws and rules;

(2) Additional case reports;

(3) Extension of an internship up to an additional 12 months depending on such factors as the number of months completed during the internship, length of time that has lapsed since the intern was actively involved in the internship program, and the experience attained by the intern.

j. Application for change of preceptor or any other alteration must be made in writing and approval granted by the board before the status of the intern is altered.

k. The intern will complete on a form provided by the board a confidential evaluation of the preceptorship program at the end of the internship. This form will be submitted before a funeral director license is issued to the intern.

l. The intern must be approved and licensed following a successful internship before the intern may practice mortuary science.

(2)Preceptorship.

a. A preceptor must have completed a training course within five years prior to accepting an intern. This training course will cover Iowa law and rule content areas including, but not limited to, Iowa law and rules governing licensure and the practice of mortuary science and human resource issues. The training course may be counted toward the continuing education hours required for the licensure biennium in which the training course was completed.

b. Any duly Iowa-licensed funeral director who has been practicing for a minimum of five years and who has not had any formal disciplinary action within the past five years with the board of mortuary science and has completed a preceptor training course detailed in paragraph 901.3(2)"a" will be eligible to be a preceptor.

c. The preceptor will be affiliated with a funeral establishment that has not had any formal disciplinary action within the past five years.

d. The preceptor will certify that the intern engages in the practice of mortuary science only during the time frame designated on the official intern certificate.

e. A preceptor's duties will include the following:

(1) Ensure the intern completes the training program outlined in subrule 901.3(3);

(2) Be physically present and supervise the first five embalming cases, first five funeral arrangements, and first five funeral or memorial services;

(3) Familiarize the intern in the areas specified by the preceptor training outline;

(4) Read, add appropriate comments to, and sign each of the 25 embalming reports and the 25 funeral directing reports completed by the intern;

(5) Complete a written six-month report of the intern on a form provided by the board. This report is to be reviewed with and signed by the intern and submitted to the board before the end of the seventh month; and

(6) At the end of the internship, complete a confidential evaluation of the intern on a form provided by the board. This evaluation will be submitted within two weeks of the end of the internship. The 12-month report will be submitted to the board for review and approval prior to the board's approval of the intern for licensure.

f. Failure of a preceptor to fulfill the requirements set forth by the board, including failure to remit the required six-month progress report, as well as the final evaluation, will result in an investigation of the preceptor by the board and may result in actions which may include, but not be limited to, the loss of preceptor status for current and future interns or discipline or both.

g. If a preceptor does not serve the entire year, the board will evaluate the situation; and if a certified preceptor is not available, a licensed funeral director may serve with the approval of the board.

h. No licensed funeral director or licensed funeral establishment will have more than one intern funeral director for the first 100 human remains embalmed or funerals conducted per year, with a maximum of two interns per funeral establishment.

i. With prior board approval, an intern may serve under the supervision of more than one preceptor under the following terms and conditions:

(1) A single preceptor must act in the role of the primary preceptor.

(2) The primary preceptor is responsible for coordinating all intern training and activities.

(3) The intern will be a full-time employee of the funeral establishment of the primary preceptor; however, compensation may be shared between preceptors.

(4) The primary preceptor may make arrangements with a maximum of two additional preceptors to share preceptor responsibilities for such purposes as providing an intern with a higher-volume practice or a broader range of intern experiences.

(5) Each preceptor will be individually responsible for directly supervising the intern's activities performed under the preceptor's guidance, but the primary preceptor remains responsible for coordinating the intern's activities and submitting all forms to the board.

(3)Intern training requirements.

a. The board-approved preceptor will ensure that the intern is knowledgeable of each of the following items during the internship:

(1) The requirements of the Federal Trade Commission Funeral Rule.

(2) The requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

(3) The requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

(4) The benefits of the Social Security and Veterans Health Administrations.

(5) The requirements of Iowa funeral law and forms (for example, preneed in Iowa Code chapter 523A, death certificates and Iowa burial transit permits in Iowa Code chapter 144, authorized person in Iowa Code chapter 144C, Iowa department of inspections, appeals, and licensing law and rules governing funeral practice, and the board's laws and rules).

b. The board-approved preceptor will ensure that the intern performs each of the following under the preceptor's direct supervision:

(1) Assists with or performs a minimum of ten transfers of human remains.

(2) Performs 25 embalmings of human remains to include:

1. Obtaining permission to embalm.

2. Placement of human remains on preparation table.

3. Pre-embalming analysis.

4. Primary disinfection.

5. Setting features.

6. Selection of injection/drainage sites and raising those vessels.

7. Selection and mixing of embalming chemicals and operation of the embalming machine.

8. Injection and drainage methods.

9. Cavity treatment.

10. Suturing techniques.

(3) Prepares a minimum of ten human remains for viewing to include:

1. Dressing.

2. Cosmetizing.

3. Casketing.

(4) Assists with cremation procedures to include:

1. Contacting the medical examiner.

2. Completing required cremation forms.

3. Preparing human remains for cremation.

(5) Makes complete funeral arrangements with a minimum of ten families to include each of the following, as applicable:

1. Presentation of funeral goods, products and services.

2. Presentation of payment options for families.

3. Contacting third-party suppliers of goods and services, such as clergy, cemetery personnel, outer burial container provider, cremation establishment, florist, and musicians.

4. Completing the obituary.

5. Presentation of general price list and associated price lists.

6. Preparation and presentation of statement of funeral goods and services.

(6) Coordinates, at a minimum, ten visitations to include:

1. Preparing the chapel, visitation room or other facility.

2. Setting up floral arrangements.

3. Setting up register book and memorial folders or prayer cards.

(7) Directs a minimum of 25 funerals or memorial services to include, as applicable:

1. Greeting funeral attendees.

2. Assisting casket bearers.

3. Preparing for funeral procession.

4. Driving a vehicle in procession.

5. Assisting at graveside committal.

6. Transporting flowers.

7. Coordinating with officiant and family.

Iowa Admin. Code r. 481-901.3

ARC 7813C, IAB 4/17/2024, effective 5/22/2024; Editorial change: IAC Supplement 9/18/2024