Supervision is a key aspect of the process for Conditional CSHBC registrants to become Full registrants.
What you need to know
The supervision requirements for Registered Hearing Instrument Practitioners (Conditional) are more prescriptive than the supervision requirements for Registered Audiologists (Conditional) and Registered Speech-Language Pathologists (Conditional). Conditional registrants and their supervisors must ensure they are fully familiar with the specific supervision requirements for their professions.
Conditional registration
Applicants seeking to become RAUDs or RSLPs may be granted RAUD (Conditional) or RSLP (Conditional) registration, prior to successfully passing the relevant entry-to-practice examination, provided they meet all other requirements set out in Section 85 of the CSHBC Bylaws.
Applicants seeking to become RHIPs may be granted RHIP (Conditional) registration, prior to completing their supervised clinical practicum and successfully passing the entry-to-practice examinations, provided they meet all other requirements set out in Section 82 of the CSHBC Bylaws.
Supervision levels
As defined in CSHBC’s Supervision clinical practice standard (PDF), supervision levels include:
- Constant supervision: where the supervisee may not engage in clinical activities unless the supervisor is in attendance.
- Close supervision: where there is a sufficiently close proximity between supervisor and supervisee that a supervisor may attend in person at the request of either the supervisor or supervisee.
- General supervision (remote supervision): where the supervisor is accessible to a supervisee (by telephone, email, or virtually) but does not attend in person.
General supervision of RAUD (Conditional) and RSLP (Conditional) registrants
RAUD (Conditional) and RSLP (Conditional) registrants must be supervised at a minimum of General supervision. Supervisors of RAUD (Conditional) and RSLP (Conditional) registrants have discretion to determine whether an additional level of supervision is required.
To qualify as a RAUD (Conditional) or RSLP (Conditional) supervisor, the individual must be a Full CSHBC registrant (RAUD or RSLP respectively), and in active practice for a minimum of two years.
Graduated supervision – from Constant to Close to General – of RHIP (Conditional) registrants before and after completing their clinical practicum
Applicants to become RHIPs in BC, must first practise as a RHIP (Conditional) registrant, under the supervision of a practicum supervisor (who must be a RHIP in BC), to meet RHIP (Conditional) practicum requirements.
To qualify as a RHIP (Conditional) supervisor, the individual must be a Full CSHBC RHIP, and in active practice for a minimum of two years.
As outlined in the RHIP (Conditional) Practicum Requirements policy (PDF), RHIP (Conditional) registrants must complete a minimum of 660 supervised hours on a graduated progression from Constant to Close to General supervision. During the initial 330 practicum hours, a RHIP (Conditional) registrant must practice under Constant supervision, with the supervisor on site 100% of the time. During the next 230 practicum hours, a RHIP (Conditional) registrant must practice under Close supervision. During the final 100 practicum hours, a RHIP (Conditional) registrant must practice under General supervision.
“For RHIPs specifically, it’s very prescribed in the policy that they have to complete a certain number of hours at Constant supervision level before they can shift to Close and then General supervision as they complete the 660 supervised hours through their supervised clinical practicum,” says Cathy Silversides, CSHBC Director, Quality Assurance & Professional Practice.
Once the RHIP (Conditional) completes their 660 hours through the clinical practicum, they must, at a minimum, receive General supervision until successfully completing the required entry-to-practice examinations and obtaining Full RHIP registration.
Clinical supervision skills review
If you’re considering becoming a supervisor, or if you are already providing supervision, it’s important to review your clinical supervision skills. For detailed information about the requirements of clinical supervision at two levels – foundational and intermediate – see the Clinical Supervision Skills Review Tool (PDF).
Clinical supervision versus workplace supervision
While registrants can clinically supervise Conditional registrants, applicants for Certified Practice (CP) certificates, and communication health assistants (CHAs), registrants may also provide workplace supervision, which can be administrative and/or operational in nature. “Clinical and workplace supervision can be very different,” says Ms. Silversides. “You may have a supervisor who is an audiologist, for example, but who doesn’t actually clinically supervise you.” Registrants must adhere to CSHBC supervision requirements for clinical supervision.
Failure to comply with supervision and other requirements for Conditional registrants
If a Conditional registrant or supervisor fails to comply with requirements, limits, and conditions of Conditional registration, including those pertaining to supervision, the matter may be referred to the CSHBC Registration Committee or Inquiry Committee.
For more information
For more information about these and other requirements for supervision of RHIP (Conditional) registrants, see: