Competence Maintenance
The Competence Maintenance component includes the basic activities required of all occupational therapists to demonstrate that they are engaging in reflective practice and complying with regulatory requirements. All registrants must fully participate in all activities described below as a condition of their licensure.
There are three main activities which comprise the Competence Maintenance component:
Declaration of Currency
Currency hours are defined as paid hours of service within the scope of practice of the profession of occupational therapy. Recent currency hours are one indicator of an occupational therapist’s continued competence.
Currency hours are declared at initial registration and at annual license renewal. Registrants are required to meet the below requirements to obtain and maintain a license to practice:
- Completed 600 Currency hours in the past 3 years prior to the application or renewal date; or
- Graduated from an approved occupational therapy program with 1000 hours of clinical practicum fieldwork in the 18 months prior to the application or renewal date; or
- Successfully completed a refresher education/re-entry program approved by the board in the 18 months prior to the application or renewal date.
Professional Development Plan
The Professional Development Plan (PDP) is a tool to help registrants maintain their knowledge and skills in order to meet the established competencies of occupational therapists and achieve their professional development goals. It is a systematic approach that translates goals into concrete action steps, and helps registrants stay on track to achieve those goals. Registrants create and complete their PDP on a yearly cycle, beginning and ending at renewal.
There are three steps to creating a PDP, which can all be completed via the online portal:
- Complete the NSOTR Self-Assessment Tool.
- Complete your Learning Goals from the previous registration year.
- Set two Learning Goals for the current registration year. These goals use the SMART format and relate to a specific competency from the Competencies for Occupational Therapists in Canada.
Throughout the registration year, registrants will select appropriate learning activities to meet their Learning Goals. At renewal of their license in April-May of each year, they will complete a self-evaluation and reflection on how the completed learning activities enhanced their skills, attitudes, and judgment in relation to their selected Learning Goal. Registrants will then create a new PDP for the upcoming registration year as part of the renewal process.
It is mandatory for all registrants to complete a PDP on a yearly basis and to retain any relevant documents for a period of 10 years (i.e. pre 2025/2026 Goals and Self-Assessments, certificates, receipts, transcripts, mentorship agreements, forms etc.). Registrants may upload these documents to the online portal if they wish to store them there, but this is not required.
Registrants are encouraged to incorporate client and peer feedback into their Self-Assessment and Professional Development Plan.
Practice Education Modules (PEM) "eLearning"
Practice Education Modules ("eLearning”) are developed to support registrants in meeting the standards of the Regulator.
The Regulator may require registrants to complete a specific eLearning module(s) at any time during the registration year including renewal. Registrants will be notified of the timeline for the completion of required eLearning modules.
On completion of an eLearning module, registrants will be required to provide confirmation of completion to the Regulator, such as a Certificate or Learning Transcript.
Competence Maintenance Audits
Registrants may be selected to participate in a Competence Maintenance Audit. This entails submission of the learning activities associated with a registrant’s Professional Development Plan to the online portal. Registrants selected for Competence Maintenance Audit will be notified. Participation is mandatory for any registrant notified of their selection.