Massage therapists in Florida are required to meet board standards for education.
Florida requires massage therapists to obtain a license to practice in the state. In addition to educational requirements, the Florida Board of Massage Therapy requires license candidates to pass a national examination. The licensee must renew the license every two years in the state by meeting continuing education requirements with board-approved courses.
General Education
The Florida Board of Massage Therapy requires candidates to be at least 18 years old and a graduate of high school. Applicants can also satisfy the requirement with a General Equivalency Diploma (GED).
Massage Therapy Education
Candidates for a massage therapy license must also complete a massage therapy program with a course approved by the Florida Board of Massage Therapy. A massage therapy program includes courses such as anatomy, physiology, pathology, law, techniques, business, kinesiology and contraindications.
Additional Education Requirements
The Florida board also requires students to complete a two-hour course on the prevention of medical errors. This course ensures that patients of massage therapy are protected from medical injury. The course is required for nurses, physical therapists and doctors in the state of Florida. The course teaches massage therapists to view system failures as a reason for medical errors. This allows massage therapists to be aware of the patient environment to prevent errors from occurring.
Additional Certification Requirements
Massage therapists who offer colonic irrigation or colon hydrotherapy must obtain certification after obtaining a massage therapy license. Requirements for certification include a course in colonics from a Florida Board of Massage Therapy approved provider.
License Renewal Education
The state of Florida requires 24 hours of continuing education to renew a massage therapy license. The board requires that a minimum of 12 hours be directly related to massage therapy. The 12-hour requirement must be live classroom instruction. The state requires two hours of ethics training for license renewals. In addition, the board requires two hours of Florida laws and regulations and two hours of medical error prevention. All renewal candidates must complete a course in HIV and AIDS.
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