Chiropractic Online Education Guidelines

Source: Consolidated Newfoundland and Labrador Regulation 1101/96, Chiropractors Regulations under the Chiropractors Act, section 13. Confirm current requirements and your own period dates with the Newfoundland and Labrador Chiropractic Board.

No other Canadian province or U.S. state commits half of a continuing education cycle to a single subject. Newfoundland and Labrador does: at least 6 of your 12 credit hours must be devoted to radiography, and the regulation states plainly that 6 hours of diagnostic imaging or radiography in each 2-year period is mandatory.

That emphasis follows from the province's scope rules. Chiropractors here may operate private x-ray facilities and prescribe plain film radiographs of the skeletal system, subject to the Radiation Health and Safety Act — with detailed obligations on clinical justification, avoiding duplicate imaging, minimum two views at right angles for an initial examination, gonad shielding and collimation, care with patients of child-bearing age, and film identification standards.

Plan these 6 hours first. They're the constrained half of your cycle, and imaging coursework is scarcer than general clinical content. Everything else can fill in behind them.

This is the requirement that catches doctors out. In Newfoundland and Labrador, seminars and education courses must have had their credit hours pre-approved by the Continuing Education Committee, and an approved seminar is one accredited by the Committee before its scheduled date. Completing excellent education that was never submitted for approval earns nothing.

The regulation gives you a direct remedy: a member may contact the chairperson of the Continuing Education Committee before attending a seminar to determine whether it has the Board's approval. Use it. One email or call before you enrol is cheaper than 12 hours that don't count.

For accreditation, the Committee reviews the exact length of the seminar including breaks, a summary of its educational content and relevance to chiropractic, the speaker's curriculum vitae, and requires attendance records to be forwarded to the Committee chairperson. Sessions must run a minimum of one hour.

Newfoundland and Labrador recognises scholarly work toward the 12 credit hours in a way almost no other jurisdiction does. Under s. 13(10):

One published paper can satisfy an entire two-year cycle. Credit for published material is awarded in the fiscal year it was published, and subject material must be approved by the Board — so speak to the Committee before you start writing, not after.

March 31 is the paperwork deadline. Final acknowledgements for a two-year period must reach the Continuing Education Committee by that date — completing the hours isn't enough if the forms arrive late.

Nothing carries forward. Credit hours cannot be banked or applied to a period other than the one in which they were obtained. A heavy year doesn't buy you a light one.

The consequences are real. Default constitutes misconduct under the Act, exposing a member to reprimand, probation, suspension of the right to practise, cancellation of registration, or a fine. At the expiry of a two-year period the registrar shall not issue an annual certificate to a member who hasn't acquired the hours or been granted an extension — and a member still short at the end of an extension has their annual certificate suspended immediately. An extension can be requested from the Committee, but it must be applied for.

A workable NL sequence: confirm your current two-year period and the March 31 submission date with the Board → line up the 6 radiography hours first, since imaging content is the scarcest → confirm pre-approval with the Continuing Education Committee chairperson before enrolling in anything → fill the remaining 6 hours → submit acknowledgements well ahead of March 31.

CCEDseminars carries imaging coursework including Evidence-Based Practice 203: Imaging in Clinical Practice I and 204: Imaging in Clinical Practice II, alongside 30+ clinical course categories and live evening webinars.

Before enrolling in any course as a Newfoundland and Labrador registrant — from us or any other provider — confirm with the Continuing Education Committee that its credit hours have been pre-approved for your period. Pre-approval is what makes an hour count here.

How many CE credit hours do Newfoundland and Labrador chiropractors need?

A minimum of 12 credit hours of continuing education in each two-year period, of which at least 6 must be devoted to radiography, under section 13 of the Chiropractors Regulations.

Why does Newfoundland require 6 hours of radiography?

The regulation makes 6 hours of diagnostic imaging or radiography mandatory in each two-year period. It reflects the province's scope rules, under which chiropractors may operate private x-ray facilities and prescribe plain film radiographs of the skeletal system subject to detailed radiation safety obligations.

Does a course need to be approved before I take it?

Yes. Seminars and education courses must have had their credit hours pre-approved by the Continuing Education Committee, and an approved seminar is one accredited before its scheduled date. A member may contact the Committee chairperson before attending to confirm a seminar has the Board's approval.

When are my continuing education forms due?

Final acknowledgements for a two-year period must be received by the Continuing Education Committee no later than March 31 of that period.

Can I carry extra credit hours into the next period?

No. Credit hours cannot be banked or used in a period other than the one in which they were obtained.

Can I earn credit for writing or presenting?

Yes. A scientific or clinical paper published in a refereed health journal earns 12 credit hours; a literature review, case study, or definitive book review earns 6; presenting an original CE lecture earns 3 credit hours per hour presented to a maximum of 12; and pre-approved journal subscriptions earn 1 credit hour each to a maximum of 2. Subject material must be approved by the Board.

What happens if I don't complete my hours?

Default constitutes misconduct under the Act and may result in reprimand, probation, suspension of the right to practise, cancellation of registration, or a fine. At the expiry of the period, the registrar shall not issue an annual certificate to a member short on hours unless an extension has been granted.

What do different jurisdictions call these hours?

Chiropractors may search for CE, CEUs, continuing education, or CPD — in Newfoundland and Labrador the operative term is credit hours of continuing education pre-approved by the Board's Continuing Education Committee.