College Announces Decision Regarding Susan Humphreys

Susan Humphreys, Licence # 1220

On April 21, 2022, the Investigation Committee of the Nova Scotia College of Physiotherapists decided on an interim basis to impose restrictions on Susan Humphreys’ practice, pursuant to section 47(1) of the Physiotherapists Act, SNS 1998, c 22.

Susan Humphreys’ licence is currently expired. In the event Susan Humphreys applies for renewal of her licence, the interim restrictions will apply. Further, the interim restrictions will remain in effect until they are lifted, superseded, or annulled by the Investigation Committee or the Hearing Committee, as the case may be.

Interim Competency Evaluation Application

The Nova Scotia College of Physiotherapists has developed an Interim Competency Evaluation process that will be utilized whenever a national clinical evaluation is unavailable for a period of 12 months or more. Application resources for the Interim Competency Evaluation process are listed below. Click on the links to download.

Please complete all forms in the electronic format provided and submit completed applications via email with supporting documents to Joan Ross, Registrar at registrar@nsphysio.com. Sponsors and Employers/Managers should send their reports/letters independently to the Registrar and include the name of the PT Resident applying.

Resource	Description
For Applicants
References
Application Guide	Detailed instructions for applicants (PDF)
Application Checklist	Criteria and document checklist (MSWord), (PDF)
Forms
Application Form	Application form in MSExcel.
Self Reflection - Learning Needs	Self-reflection assessment on process for identifying learning needs (MSWord)
Self Reflection - Patient Care	Self-reflection on patient care experience to submit with chart notes (personal identifiers redacted) (MSWord)
Self Reflection - Professional	Self-reflection on professional behaviours (MS Word)
For Sponsors
Final Sponsor Report	3-part report including Sponsor Questionairre, Feedback Form and Professional Behaviour Rubric (MSWord)
For Employers/Managers
Directions for letter of support	A support letter from the Manager (or Employer if there is no manager) in each of the applicant's practice sites must be provided. The letter should include a statement regarding potential or realized professional or practice issues along with explanation and resolution.

FAQ

I sponsored a resident in the past year but I'm not currently their sponsor. Do they need me to complete the final sponsor report or is it just their current sponsor that completes that form?

In most cases the final report will only be required from the most recent sponsor, since the committee is most interested in current competency. There may be situations where multiple sponsors will need to complete the final report to ensure the committee has the right information to make their decision. If an applicant is unsure they can contact Joan Ross, Registrar at registrar@nsphysio.com to confirm.

I work for NSH; what is the process for releasing the required chart notes to the committee?

NSH Privacy staff are aware of the Interim Competency Evaluation requirements. Applicants that are employed by NSH will need to email chart requests to Privacy@nshealth.ca with the following information:

Requesting Physiotherapy Resident's information:

Name
NSCP License number

Patient's information:

First and Last name
Health Card Number or Date of Birth (or both is great)
Location or Hospital Site where the visit happened
Date(s) of assessment, or date range.
Include details of records required (initial assessment to discharge and all relevant physiotherapy progress notes/supporting documents).

NSH Privacy office will redact the patient identifiers once they receive the records and will then provide them to the NSCP Registrar.

The estimated turnaround time for the request is approximately 3 weeks depending on workload.

How long will it take to receive a decision on my application through ICE?

The timelines in the ICE policy have been updated to ensure the committee is not impeded in its public protection/interest mandate and to allow for applicants to have realistic expectations of the length of time from submission to response. The policy no longer refers to a 20-business day response time from the time of receiving applications. This arbitrary timeline does not reflect the reality of the process nor the current situation in relation to the number of eligible applicants and anticipated applications. The Committee will move the applications forward as expediently as possible. Timelines for processing applications will be monitored and once reasonable estimates are available, they will be published. This will allow applicants to have realistic expectations of the length of time from submission to response.

Why is a letter from the manager/employer required? Does the Resident see that letter?

The letter of support is intended to provide opportunity for the manager/employer to report on whether or not there were any practice or behaviour issues that may have been reported and/or dealt with internally. The letter is sent directly to teh Registrar to be shared with teh Committee and the Resident does not see it.

Does a Sponsor have to complete and submit practice review forms after submitting the final evaluation report?

Until the committee has made a decision the applicant is still a resident. After submitting the final report the sponsor may pause on the reporting but must continue the sponsor/resident relationship until the committee has communicated a decision on the application.

NS Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Registration Campaign

In Nova Scotia, we have a provincial registry of AEDs. The registry’s goal is to help improve cardiac arrest survival rates by rapidly linking bystanders/first responders to the closest AEDs to help individuals experiencing cardiac arrest. The registry works with members of the public to help register publicly accessible and private AEDs to grow a database that will notify volunteer responders the location of the nearest AED in an emergency. There are other features as well and you can learn more about the registry at: About – EHS AED Registry Program (savelivesns.ca)

Download the NS AED Registration Blitz Campaign letter

Alternative Credentialing Process - Oct 25, 2021

Posted October 25, 2021

Postponements and cancellation of the PCE clinical component due to the COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant ambiguity for Nova Scotia Resident Physiotherapists on their next steps to fully entering the profession. This is not lost on the board and has and will continue to be a significant consideration as the NSCP continues to meet its public protection mandate.

As requested by the Board during the September 15th, 2021 Board meeting, NSCP staff provided a detailed proposal for an alternative pathway to full Licensure for some residents that wish to apply. The proposal was reviewed during the October 20, 2021 NSCP Board meeting and feedback was provided for staff to incorporate into the process. The NSCP appreciates your continued patience as the alternative process is finalized, approved and resourced. In the interim the NSCP would like to share a few key points and timeframes.

Staff developed the proposal with input from the following stakeholders:
- NS Department of Health and Wellness Staff
- Active PT sponsors (2 video forum sessions with combined attendance of 12 plus 2 who could not attend but provided input via phone/email communication).
- Dalhousie University
- NSPA representatives
- National Registrar Counterparts
- Legal Counsel
The Board is confident that the final process will meet the criteria set during the September 15th Meeting
The process will be an interim measure for some of the affected candidates and be limited to the time that the national competency standard: clinical component is not available to residents. When a national competency standard: clinical component is available, the NSCP will support this standard requirement for full licensure.
The application process will be available to NS Residents who have met the requirements while licensed in Nova Scotia. Residents who meet the minimum month and practice hours while licensed in another Jurisdiction will not qualify to apply until they have completed those requirements in Nova Scotia.
Current and all future applicants must be made aware of the risks of licensure without successful completion of the PCE with regards to labour mobility
Next Steps:
- Draft and approval of interim policy (target early November 2021)
- Development of detailed process requirements and anticipated timelines (target mid to Late November 2021)
- Development of resources for credentialing committee and applicants (Target Nov/Dec 2021)

In the interest of allowing staff and volunteers to focus on finalizing, approving and resourcing the process as expeditiously as possible individual requests for further information/questions related to the process will be accepted and incorporated into future communications, however, we will not be able to respond on an individual basis.

Please note that all communication to staff, Board members and volunteers must be professional and made to appropriate parties through the appropriate channels. Individual Board members should not be contacted through social media or through personal channels, as that is not an appropriate nor professional means of correspondence. Correspondence related to processes, administration and communication matters should be directed to the appropriate staff member or to office@nsphysio.com where it will be directed to the appropriate party. The Board of Directors speaks as one voice on College matters and when an individual Board member is contacted, they refer the matter to the larger body for discussion.

2022 Election Results

The NSCP is pleased to announce the following successful candidates for the 2022 election. Congratulations and welcome to the board!

Alissa Decker
Gillian MacIntosh
Amy Publicover
Brendon Samson

They will begin the onboarding process and take on their positions after the AGM (Thursday April 28, 2022 @7pm)

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