Canadian Educated Graduate Applicants
This section is intended for Canadian educated graduate applicants who have never been registered/licenced. This includes new graduates from an approved Respiratory Therapy Program or individuals about to graduate from an approved Respiratory Therapy Program. These applicants must complete an initial application with the NSCRT.
Steps to Initial Registration for Canadian Educated Graduate Applicants
1) Online Application Form: Complete all fields on the online application form at https://members.nscrt.com/apply/initial. Select Temporary Graduate License from options.
2) Criminal Background Check, including a Vulnerable Sector check: Must accompany all new applications and be uploaded to the online profile. The Criminal Records Check/Vulnerable Sector Check 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. Applicants who have a criminal record should upload a Declaration of Criminal Record to expedite the registration process.
3) Verification of identity/eligibility to work in Canada: A copy of applicant's Canadian passport, birth certificate, permanent residency card, or work visa uploaded to the online profile.
4) Language Fluency (if applicable): Applicants will need to submit documentation to support the required status of fluency if their first language is not English or relevant health care instruction was not in English. For information on the acceptable tests and scores, please refer to the Language Proficiency Test Requirements and Scores.
5) Education: Official evidence of successful completion of applicant's education program must be uploaded or mailed to the NSCRT. A letter from the program director is acceptable evidence or official transcripts sent directly from the educational institution to the NSCRT.
6) Jurisprudence Exam: Applicants must successfully complete the online NSCRT Jurisprudence Exam. The exam is located under the eLearning menu on the applicant's online profile. It is an online web-based educational resource to assist applicants in learning essential information related to respiratory therapy practice in Nova Scotia.
7) Submission of registration fee: Fees are payable by credit card, cheque or certifed money order. (New applicants are subject to a one-time $75 application fee in addition to the registration fee). Registration fees can be found here.
Once all requirements have been met, applicants will be issued a Temporary Graduate License and will be able to use the designation of Graduate Respiratory Therapist (GRT). GRTs have the following conditions and restrictions on their practice license (Respiratory Therapists Regulations S18(2)(3)):
- practise respiratory therapy only under the general supervision of a registered respiratory therapist; and
- may not delegate any act of respiratory therapy to another person who does not hold a license under the Act.
8) Exam: GRTs have 18 months to successfully challenge the examination approved by the NSCRT Board following graduation - the Health Professionals Testing Canada (HPTC) examination. Graduate respiratory therapists will receive an Active Practice license when documentation of successful completion of the HPTC exam is received.
Applications will be approved only after all the required information has been received. Approval can take up to 5 days after receipt of a complete application (Complete application means all required documents and information have been provided). Incomplete applications will result in delays in processing. Once registered, applicants are required to comply with the NSCRT E-Volve Continuing Competency Program. GRTs are required to have professional liability insurance coverage of at least $2,000,000 once employed.