Updated NBRC Policy Adjustments for COVID-19

UPDATED APRIL 21, 2020

We remain committed to providing support to our practitioners and solutions for our candidates during the current global health crisis. As the COVID-19 situation evolves, we will continue to adjust as needed to make sure that respiratory therapists can continue their essential work. Stay up-to-date with the latest NBRC news by checking our COVID-19 website page, our social media channels, and your email.

Credential Verification

Required by most state licensure agencies and employers, this document is often necessary to begin working. We continue to offer credential verification letters at no cost at least through June 30, 2020, so any practitioner may immediately obtain a credential verification, if required, for the licensing and/or employment process.

Log in now for credential verification.

Provisional Credentials

  • Credentials have been extended to December 31, 2020, for practitioners with March 31 – November 30, 2020, expiration dates.
  • Credentials expired January 1, 2015 – February 29, 2020, are provisionally reinstated, effective immediately. These temporary credentials are valid through December 31, 2020, and will revert to expired status January 1, 2021, at which time practitioners must meet the requirements of the Credential Maintenance Program (CMP) to recertify.

Examination Candidates

Although our testing agency, PSI, has closed most testing facilities through April 30, 2020 (subject to change), NBRC has secured a number of essential assessment centers, available now for testing.

  • Almost 70 PSI essential assessment centers are available for candidates to take the Therapist Multiple-Choice (TMC) and Clinical Simulation (CSE) Examinations. Click here for the list of available testing sites.
  • Eligible candidates should log in to the Practitioner Portal to submit an application and payment. An email will be sent with further instructions about scheduling an exam appointment with PSI.
  • Candidates who have paid for an examination, whether an examination appointment has been scheduled or not, are eligible for testing through December 31, 2020. Candidates applying for exams through September 30, 2020, will also be eligible for testing through December 31, 2020.
  • Candidates subject to the Three-Year RRT Time Limit will not be restricted by this policy through December 31, 2020. This policy is no longer in effect as of January 1, 2021.

Earning CE

  • Credentialed practitioners with original expiration dates between March 31 – December 31, 2020, may now obtain CEUs up to six months after expiration to comply with the Credential Maintenance Program (CMP) requirements. This exception does not apply to provisionally reinstated credentialed practitioners or those whose credentials expired before March 31, 2020.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to provide valuable resources and guidance for healthcare workers.

This health crisis has reinforced how your knowledge, training, and expertise as a credentialed respiratory therapist remains indispensable to our healthcare system. You are indeed the unsung heroes leading the way during this extraordinary time.

/by The National Board for Respiratory Care