Internationally Educated Applicants
To practice Respiratory Therapy in Nova Scotia you must hold a certificate of registration/license with the Nova Scotia College of Respiratory Therapists (NSCRT). If you are currently registered as a respiratory therapist in another regulated Canadian jurisdiction, apply under the "Respiratory Therapists from other Canadian Jurisdictions" menu option. If you are not currently registered as a respiratory therapist in another Canadian jurisdiction and have not graduated from an approved Canadian Respiratory Therapy program, please contact the Registrar at registrar@nscrt.com or 902-423-3229 to discuss your eligibility and the application process.
Internationally Educated Applicants - Pathway to Licensure
To be eligible for a license with the NSCRT, 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 trained applicants. When you submit an application, the NSCRT Credentials Committee will complete a preliminary review of your online profile and 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). The process is detailed below. A quick visual pathway is can be found HERE.
To begin the application process, you must submit the following:
1. Application for Registration – To begin the application process you will be required to complete the online initial application form. Do not submit any fees at this time. The application will provide us with your contact information and give us a general idea of your education and work experience. Processing the Application for registration form may take up to four (4) weeks from the time all requirements are submitted.
2. Language Proficiency: 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 Language Proficiency Test Requirements and Scores. You are unable to progress to the competency assessment until the language benchmarks have been met. It is recommended that you participate in the free online self-assessment service offered by the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB). Visit http://www.language.ca/home/ for general information and to participate in a free online self-assessment of your language skills visit https://clb-osa.ca/home.
3. Credential Evaluation: You must have your education/academic qualifications verified by a member of the Alliance of Credential Evaluation Services of Canada (e.g. World Education Services (WES)). All reports must be forwarded to the NSCRT directly from the credential evaluation service provider. You are required to have a Course by Course Evaluation completed. Basic evaluations will not be accepted and will delay your application.
4. Letter of Good Standing: If you have been registered/licensed as a respiratory therapist or in any other health profession in another country you must have an NSCRT Statement of Professional Standing form completed by your previous regulatory body and forwarded directly to the NSCRT Registrar (registrar@nscrt.com). You must complete section 1 and forward the form to your current regulatory body to complete section 2. If you are not currently regulated, you are required to have a letter of good character provided by your most recent employer.
5. Letter of Good Character: Letter from current/most recent employer confirming that you are an employee in good standing and dates of employment. (If you have had more than one in employer in the last year, letter from your last two employers will be required).
6. Completed NSCRT Declaration Form: Print and sign this form then upload it to your online profile. Applications will not be reviewed until this form is received.
Please note that once it is determined that you possess all of the Canadian Respiratory Therapy entry-to-practice competencies and are eligible for licensure, you will be required to provide the following additional documents before a license can be granted. These documents are not required for the assessment process:
7. Proof of Canadian citizenship, permanent residency status or a valid work permit (Not required to apply but must be provided before a license can be issued): Upload a copy of one of the following: birth certificate from a Canadian province or territory, valid Canadian passport, certificate of Canadian Citizenship, permanent residency card, or a valid work permit.
8. Criminal Background Check, including a Vulnerable Sector check: Upload a copy of a Criminal Records Check/Vulnerable Sector Check. It must be obtained within the past 6 months and performed by a local police agency, the RCMP, or private organizations such as CSI Screening or My Backcheck. If you reside outside of Canada or have recently moved to Canada from another country, an international criminal records check is required. Applicants who have a criminal record should upload a Declaration of Criminal Record to expedite the registration process.
Competency Assessment Process:
The 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 Nova Scotia. Please note that the applicant is responsible for all costs, including travel, associated with the competency assessment. (Estimated timelines and fees).
Once the CRTO receives a referral for a competency assessment from the NSCRT, they will contact you regarding next steps, including any additional required documentation. The competency assessment is 2-step process, which includes:
- Educational Program Review and Behavioral Descriptive Interview. As part of the education program review, you will be asked to complete the Education Program Review Worksheet and submit the form to the CRTO office together with supporting documentation. To complete this worksheet, you will need to review your curriculum and provide course reference(s) to demonstrate that each specific area was covered in the program. You may need to contact your school to obtain copies of supporting documentation (e.g., course outlines, and details of clinical placements).
- The structured interview compares your knowledge, skills and experience acquired through both education and employment against the competencies listed in the NCF. The interviews are administered at the CRTO office by two trained interviewers with broad experience and expertise in Respiratory Therapy. The interview may be completed virtually at CRTO’s discretion.
- Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA). The CSA is an actual demonstration of clinical skills in a simulated environment (i.e., a clinical environment that mimics real-world practice, for example, an operating room, intensive care unit). The CSA evaluates the competencies (knowledge, clinical skills, and judgement) required to practise respiratory therapy. These entry-to-practice competencies are listed in the NCF.
For more information on the Competency Assessment, please see the CRTO Guide for Applicants Educated Outside of Canada and the CRTO CSA Assessment Guide.
Following the assessment, if you have demonstrated competency in many but not all required areas, you may need further education to attain these competencies. Completion of a competency assessment is not a guaranteed pathway to licensure. Limited educational resources exist to remediate gaps in knowledge or competency. If formal education is not similar enough to respiratory therapy education in Canada and/or significant gaps are identified in a clinical skills assessment, it may be recommended that you apply for regular entry into the full-time respiratory therapy program in Nova Scotia, or any of the approved respiratory therapy education programs across Canada.
If you have demonstrated competency in all required areas, you are eligible for a Temporary Graduate License with the NSCRT. Temporary Graduate License holders are able to practice in Nova Scotia. There are conditions and restrictions on this practice license which will be reviewed with applicants once eligibility for the license has been determined. Members who hold this class of license hold the protected title of Graduate Respiratory Therapist (GRT) and must successfully challenge the Health Professionals Testing Canada (HPTC) national certification examination within 18 months to obtain an active practice license. The examination is offered twice per year. If GRTs do not successfully challenge the exam within the 18 months/3 attempts, they are no longer eligible for licensure in any category with NSCRT.
Please note that you may not work as a respiratory therapist, or in any way hold yourself out as a person qualified to practice respiratory therapy in the province of Nova Scotia until after your application for registration has been completed and your registration (license) is confirmed by the NSCRT.
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.