Become a Respiratory Therapist
To become a Respiratory Therapist, students are educated in community colleges or universities. Colleges offer a three-year diploma program and several universities offer four-year degree program. In Nova Scotia Dalhousie University School of Health Sciences offers a four-year Bachelor of Health Science in Respiratory Therapy with a diploma option after three years.
Respiratory therapy education includes both classroom learning and hands-on training in hospitals. To become a respiratory therapist, you need to:
- Graduate from an education program accredited by Accreditation Canada.
- Pass the national certification exam from Health Professionals Testing Canada (HPTC).
- Obtain a licence to practice from the NSCRT.
Respiratory Therapy is a self regulated health profession in nine provinces and therefore requires obtaining a licence in; Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island.
Internationally educated respiratory therapists 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. If an international applicant meets the Canadian entry to practice standards, they will be granted a temporary graduate license with conditions and restrictions and referred to write the national certification exam administered by Health Professionals Testing Canada (HPTC). Once the HPTC is passed, an active practice license is granted and all restrictions are removed.
Information on the competency assessment process can be found under Registration on this website.