Continuing Education Guidelines

Medical Laboratory Technologists (MLTs) are highly trained and skilled professionals who are an integral part of the health care community. Lifelong learning is essential to keep this expertise in the rapidly changing technical laboratory environment. The NLCMLS Standards of Practice, endorsed by the Canadian Society of Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS), states that MLTs "demonstrate, maintain, and improve (our) knowledge and skills at an appropriate level while remaining current with scientific advances."

    NLCMLS Continuing Education Credit Chart

    The purpose of the NLCMLS Continuing Education Program is to provide NLCMLS members with recognition and documentation of achieving sufficient continuing education/professional development to be eligible for licensing.

    The program is designed to:

    • Assist members with participation in ongoing continuing education/professional development (PD) activities
    • Assist members in obtaining continuing education/ professional development credits for their activities
    • Assist members in accessing and identifying local continuing education/professional development opportunities
    • Assist members in documenting continuing education/professional development activities
    NLCMLS Continuing Education Credits

    To renew a license on an annual basis the MLT must have at least ten (10) hours of continuing education credits and at least 960 hours of practice in the previous 4 years.

    While the minimum amount of continuing education credits required is 10 hours per year, more than this amount can be submitted. Credits are typically assigned based on 1 credit/ hour of activity. For example, every hour in attendance at a workshop, seminar, lecture etc. the applicant will earn 1-hour credit.

    Categories of Continuing Education/Professional Development
    Category 1
    Professional Activities

    Activities that promote enhance and deliver learning to self and others.

    Category 2
    Non-laboratory related – Transferable skills

    Workshops, courses, training in other non-laboratory specific subject matter.

    Category 3
    Laboratory Related Professional Learning

    Professional learning consists of formally planned courses, workshops and conferences related to Medical Laboratory Science. Credit values are assigned based on hours of the program as indicated by the course description. Courses that do not have an hourly designation shall be submitted with the course description hours. To support continuously updating knowledge and skills, NLCMLS members are encouraged to obtain most of their credits from Category 1 and 3, the Professional Activities and the Laboratory Related Professional Learning categories.

    Maximum/Minimum credit categories

    There are some activities that are assigned a maximum credit value per year or per audit cycle regardless of how many hours are spent on the activity. These activities may happen during work time and may be a part of the job requirement or considered to be important to the development of laboratory professionals but not deemed to be significant to the upgrading of knowledge and skills in Medical Laboratory Technology. These activities are being accepted to recognize the importance of new learning and updating knowledge. These maximum credit values are indicated in the NLCMLS Continuing Education Credit Chart.

    Members must obtain a minimum of two (2) credit hours in Category 3- Laboratory Related Professional Learning per year.

    Submitting/Claiming NLCMLS Continuing Education credits for renewal with the Health Professional Council

    All NLCMLS applicants must use the NLCHP Continuing Education (CE) Portal to upload their continuing education/professional development information. Please use the following link if you require more information on how to utilize the portal and what is required for submission:

    NLCHP Continuing Education Portal

    Each member is required to submit their continuing education documentation per calendar year (January to December) i.e. submit documentation for 2021 during January 1st – December 31st, 2021. Each submission will require self-reflection questions to be answered on each activity that was completed. The questions are as follows and the member will be prompted to answer these upon submission to the CE portal:

    1. Why did you choose this continuing education/professional development activity/course?
    2. What knowledge did you gain from completing this continuing education/ professional development course/activity?
    Maintaining Documentation and Audit of Activities

    Documentation and proof of activity is required for all continuing education activities. All continuing education activities to be considered for credit shall meet the requirements stated on the NLCMLS Continuing Education Chart (found of the NLCMLS website).

    Random audits will be performed each year. Please see the NLCHP policy “QA Audit – Confirmation of Continuing Education and Professional Development” for more information about the audit process.

    Verification of Continuing Education/Professional Development

    Meeting your annual continuing education requirements is your responsibility as a registered health professional. Please be advised that confirming that you have met your annual requirements when you have not or falsifying documentation for the audit process could lead to an allegation being filed against your practice.