Respiratory Therapists (RRT)
If you have been educated as a respiratory therapist outside of Canada, you can complete the following steps to become registered as an RRT in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Step 1 – Preliminary Assessment of Education and Clinical Experience.
To be eligible for a license with the NLCHP, internationally educated applicants who have not graduated from an approved education program must have an assessment of their formal education program and clinical experience to determine if it is similar to the entry to practice requirements for Canadian educated applicants. The NLCHP will complete a preliminary review of your online profile and required document submissions. If your education is similar to that of a Canadian trained respiratory therapist you will be referred to the next stage of the process – a competency assessment performed by the College of Respiratory Therapists of Ontario (CRTO).
Please note that at this stage we only require the following documents that are necessary to complete the assessment. If you are deemed eligible to register in NL, we will request additional documents necessary for registration.
The preliminary assessment requires that you submit the following items:
To begin the application process you will be required to complete the online application for registration. The application will provide us with your contact information and your education and work experience. You will be required to pay a $125.00 non-refundable application fee.
You will need to submit documentation to support the required status of fluency if your first language is not English or your relevant healthcare instruction was not in English. For information on the acceptable tests and scores, please refer to the NLCHP policy- Policy – English Language Proficiency You are unable to progress to the competency assessment by the CRTO until the language benchmarks have been met.
You will need to have a Course-by-Course Credential Evaluation and Authentication Report completed from a member of the Alliance of Credential Evaluation Services of Canada, for example: International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS) , International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES) or World Education Services (Canada). All reports must be forwarded to the NLCHP directly from the credential evaluation service provider.
Official transcripts / proof of education program completion must be sent directly from your educational institution to the NLCHP.
Proof of practice hours can come in the form of a letter from your employer confirming that you have practiced 1500 hours in the previous four years.
Individuals currently or previously registered to practice in another jurisdiction must provide a Verification of Registration/Letter of Good Standing (s): These letters must be sent directly to NLCHP from the Regulatory Body. For more information please see the Policy – Letter of Good Standing. Please provide the jurisdiction (s) with NLCHP’s Request Form: Letter of Good Standing.
Step 2 – CRTO Competency Assessment
Once NLCHP completes the preliminary review and determines that your education is similar to that of a Canadian trained respiratory therapist, you will be referred to the next stage of the process – the CRTO competency assessment. This competency assessment is based on the National Competency Framework (NCF). The NCF is a list of entry-to-practice competencies considered essential for the practice of Respiratory Therapy in Newfoundland and Labrador. Please note that the applicant is responsible for all costs, including travel, associated with the competency assessment.
Once the CRTO receives a referral for a competency assessment from the NLCHP, they will contact you regarding next steps, including any additional required documentation. The competency assessment is a 2-step process, which includes: the Educational Program Review and Behavioral Descriptive Interview, and the Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA). For additional information on the Competency Assessment, please see the CRTO Guide for Applicants Educated Outside of Canada and the CRTO CSA Assessment Guide. Completion of a competency assessment is not a guaranteed pathway to licensure, as limited educational resources exist to remediate gaps in knowledge or competency – it may be recommended that you apply for regular entry into the full-time respiratory therapy in any of the approved respiratory therapy education programs across Canada.
Step 3 – National Certification Exam
If you have demonstrated competency in all required areas, you will then become eligible to write the Health Professionals Testing Canada (HPTC) national certification examination.
Step 4 – Complete the NLCHP Application for Registration
Once you have passed the HPTC national certification examination, you can complete your application for registration. Please note that once you become registered with the NLCHP, you are automatically registered with the College. In addition to the documents required for the preliminary assessment, you will need to submit the following:
The ID must not be expired, and the photo/scan that is submitted must be clearly legible.
The Certificate of Conduct and Vulnerable Sector Check must be dated within 6 months of your application date. The NLCHP requires the original document(s) be forwarded to the NLCHP office via mail or drop off following submission of your application.
You must provide proof that you have successfully completed the National Certification Exam.
Proof of professional liability insurance (PLI) must show your name, dates of coverage, and amount of coverage. Respiratory Therapists must have a minimum of $ 2,000,000 PLI
Certificates of completion are required for the following online courses. Courses must be completed withing 3 months of the date your application is submitted.
Custodian-Direct Contact with Personal Health Information available on http://nlchi.skillbuilder.ca/home
Direct Contact with Personal Health Information available on http://nlchi.skillbuilder.ca/home
Jurisprudence Education for your Health Profession available at chplearning.ca
If any of the documents required are available in a language other than English, you must attach to the original an English copy translated by a certified translator. All costs associated with translation are the responsibility of the applicant.
Please allow four to six weeks to process your application once all your required documentation has been submitted to the NLCHP. You will be notified by email that your application for registration has been reviewed and request you to login to the NLCHP Portal to pay your registration fees. You will receive an email once your application is approved and your name has been added to the List of Registered Health Professionals. You are then eligible to practice in Newfoundland and Labrador. You are not able to commence employment, which includes orientation, until your name has been added to the NLCHP List of Registered Health Professionals.