Effective July 1, 2020, all Registered Audiologists (RAUDs), Registered Hearing Instrument Practitioners (RHIPs), and Registered Speech-Language Pathologists (RSLPs) are responsible for attaining and maintaining the minimum number of practice hours required in CSHBC’s three-year cycle for practice hours: 750 hours over three years for their primary registration.
As outlined in section 161 of the CSHBC Bylaws (‘Practice Hours Requirement’), a Full registrant must, within CSHBC’s three-year cycle:
- practice a minimum of 750 hours; and
- report all practice hours accumulated in the cycle in the Registrant Portal by December 31 in the last year of the College’s three-year cycle. Hours cannot be carried over from one cycle to the next.
This Notice to the Professions updates the information provided in Practice Hours requirement launching July 1, 2020. For this cycle, ending December 31, 2021, registrants with two or more registrations will not be required to report or complete additional practice hours. However, registrants should be aware that the College anticipates that practice hour requirements for additional registrations will be introduced before the end of the next reporting cycle on December 31, 2024. Registrants will be notified of this anticipated change well in advance of the end of the next reporting cycle. Registrants need to be prepared for practice hours for additional registrations in upcoming cycles.
As the Practice Hours requirement was launched on July 1, 2020, partway through the current cycle, the requirement has been pro-rated monthly from this date to the end of the cycle.
The pro-rated requirement for all registrants who were registered prior to July 1, 2020 is 360.
Registrants who registered after July 1, 2020 will have a different pro-rated requirement depending on the number of months they have been registered this cycle. Their required number of hours will be reflected in the registrant portal – 20 hours are deducted from the requirement for every month past July 2020 that someone became registered (e.g., someone who registered in August 2020 would need to report 340 hours).
Practice hours reporting is now open in the Registrant Portal. Please refer to Frequently Asked Questions (PDF) for instructions regarding reporting your hours.
We appreciate registrants with two or three registrations may be frustrated with the revised requirements for reporting additional hours. Registrants should note that the CSHBC will not monitor or enforce the reporting requirement for practice hours for additional registrations this cycle. However, the College recommends that registrants still report all hours they have practised, for all of their professions.
Pro-rated Practice Hours requirement in current cycle for those with multiple registrations
Registrants with more than one registration cannot use practice hours across multiple professions to meet professional requirements for their primary registration. For example, a dually registered RAUD, RHIP cannot report 180 hours for RAUD and 180 hours for RHIP to meet the requirement for their primary registration. They need to report at least 360 hours in one profession (their primary registration).
Documenting and reporting Practice Hours
Registrants are responsible for maintaining a record of their practice hours. Registrants with more than one Full registration should document their practice hours for each of their registrations. There may be practice hours that qualify in more than one profession. The Registrant Portal will show the total number of practice hours required for registrants with one profession.
CSHBC will check the record of each registrant with multiple registrations to ensure the correct number of hours have been reported.
All RAUDs, RHIPs, and RSLPs must report practice hours in the CSHBC Registrant Portal before the December 31 deadline in the third (final) year of a cycle.
Registrants are responsible for accurately reporting their practice hours and are required to keep proof of their practice hours for one-year post completion of the three-year cycle. Audits may be conducted without notice to ensure the accuracy and truthfulness of the practice. If there is a finding of practice hours deficiency or false reporting, CSHBC may take action, including reporting the finding to the Inquiry Committee.
Further information
See Attaining & Maintaining Practice Competence (PDF) , CSHBC Bylaws: Practice Hours Requirement and Frequently Asked Questions (PDF) for more information.