Currency Hour Guidelines and FAQs

Currency refers to the required active practice hours in a given period of time and is considered one indicator of an audiologist/speech-language pathologist's continued competence.

Currency hours help to ensure that audiologists and speech-language pathologists working in any capacity in New Brunswick as registered members of NBASLPA are kept current in their knowledge and/or practice of the profession.

Currency hours are obtained through ongoing involvement with the profession of audiology or speech-language pathology within a direct client/patient care or related work capacity.

Currency Hours can be obtained through clinical practice, and/or related work in the profession. Currency hours are a registration requirement across all regulated jurisdictions for audiology and speech-language pathology.

You will submit a declaration at registration renewal every year. The declaration statement will be in the form of a pull-down menu.

"I declare that I have obtained _________ currency hours for the 2023 year."

No. You are not required to calculate how many hours fall under each category. It is assumed that if you are working and/or volunteering in your profession, the majority of your work hours will fall into one of the categories outlined in the guideline (Member's Area).

No. Hours of active practice (currency hours) generally do not include hours of continuing education. Professional activities are activities you do in your profession that require you to make judgments or decisions based, in whole or in part, on knowledge of the professional practice of audiology or speech-language pathology.

You will calculate your currency hours for the year with the following calculation.

Hours worked per week – breaks x 52 weeks (subtract vacation time, sick time, leaves, stat holidays, and travel time within your workday) = Currency Hours.

Examples:

Full-time

• 35 hours per week (8-hour days minus lunch breaks) x 52 weeks = 1,820 - 140 hours vacation - 210 hours stat holidays - 70 hours sick time = 1,490 currency hours. You would also subtract travel time, if you travel as part of your work.

Part-time

• 14 hours per week (8-hour days minus lunch breaks) x 52 weeks = 416 - 40 hours sick time = 376 currency hours. You would also subtract travel time, if you travel as part of your work.

Management position - full-time

• 35 hours per week (8-hour days minus lunch breaks) - time spent not related to speech-language pathology or audiology (not under one of the categories in the guideline - ex: 20 hours) = 15 x 52 = 780 - 25 hours sick time - 175 hours vacation time - 210 hours stat holidays = 370 currency hours.

Estimate the number of hours you will work in the month of December and include it in your calculations for the year to submit at registration renewal. In January, if there was a significant difference between your estimated hours for December and your actual hours, please notify the registrar with your amended number and the adjustment will be made.

Paternal/ Sick Leaves

If you are on paternal leave, sick leave, or any other leave but have decided to retain your Practising Member registration, you will still be required to obtain the 750 currency hours over the 3-year period. If you do not think you will be able to obtain your required hours with your leave, please contact the Registrar to discuss different ways in which you can ensure that you obtain the required hours. There are ways to obtain currency hours, which may include volunteering on NBASLPA committees.

Casual/Private Practice

All Practising Members are required to obtain the required number of currency hours. This works out to an average of 5 hours per week over the year. If you are working less than this and think you will be short on currency hours at the end of the 3-year period, please reach out. There are ways to obtain currency hours, which may include volunteering on NBASLPA committees.

No. Currency hours refer to active practice hours in your profession. Acceptable active practice hours are listed in the currency hours guideline, and do not include continuing education equivalents. You are still required to obtain 45 CEEs over your 3-year cycle (A,B,C).

Counting year by year allows NBASLPA to monitor trends and contact you if warranted to let you know your hours are about to drop, and work with you to help support you in obtaining the required hours.

If you obtain all 750 hours in the first year, you will still be required to declare your currency hours for the next 2 years in the 3-year period, as the second and third will be the first and second year of the next 3-year period.

Scenario #1

Member 322 reported 1800 hours in 2023 and decided since she met the minimum 3-year requirement of 750 currency hours in her first year not to declare her currency hours for 2024 and 2025. This decision will affect her next 3-year period which will include the years 2024 and 2025 in her 3-year total. If Member 322 goes on unforeseen sick leave in 2026, she may not have declared enough currency hours in the previous 3-year period to cover her for the current 3-year period.

Scenario #2

Member 322 reported 1800 hours in 2023 and although she met the minimum 3-year requirement of 750 currency hours in her first year, she declared her currency hours for 2024 and 2025. This decision will positively affect their next 3-year period which will include the years 2024 and 2025 in her 3-year calculation. If Member 322 goes on unforeseen sick leave in 2026, she will have declared enough currency hours for that 3-year period, which included 2024 and 2025.

If audited and proof is required, you will be provided with a form that you will need to have signed by your employer attesting to your hours worked in the preceding 3 years.

If you are in private practice and are audited for currency hours, you will need to provide invoices or receipts for the preceding 3 years.

Volunteer hours will be verified by a form that you will need to have signed by your supervisor or committee chair.

Yes. All regulated jurisdictions for audiology and speech-language pathology require a declaration of currency hours at registration renewal.