6.1 Restricted Activities Performed by Regulated Members
Effective September 2015; Revised January 2023
Standard
A regulated member of ACSLPA performs only those restricted activities that they are authorized and competent to perform in compliance with legislation.
Indicators
To demonstrate this standard, the regulated member will:
a) Familiarize themselves with the activities they perform that are restricted activities, including procedures or episodes of care that involve restricted activities, under the Health Professions Act,
b) Limit themselves, when performing restricted activities to those activities that they are competent to perform and to those that are appropriate to their scope of practice and the procedure being performed.
c) Assess the risks and benefits associated with the restricted activity, and
i. communicate these to clients, and
ii. adjust their service plans accordingly to mitigate risks and enhance benefits.
d) Monitor their application of restricted activities and be accountable for their actions and decision-making, and
e) Ensure that appropriate strategies are in place to address any critical or unexpected occurrences associated with the application of restricted activities.
Expected Outcomes
Clients can expect that the regulated member has the required competence to perform restricted activities safely and effectively.
Glossary
Client refers to “a recipient of speech-language pathology or audiology services, and may be an individual, family, group, community or population. An individual client may also be referred to as a patient.”
Competence/competent/competency refers to “the combined knowledge, skills, attitudes and judgement required to provide professional services.”
Regulated member refers to “an individual who is registered with ACSLPA in any of the regulated categories of membership prescribed by ACSLPA Bylaws, the Health Professions Act and our Regulations.”
Restricted activities refer to “procedures or services that pose significant risk and require a high level of professional competence to be performed safely. Restricted activities may only be performed by persons authorized by their regulatory College to do so”.
Restricted activities for SLPs include to:
- Insert into the ear canal: air under pressure
- Insert or remove instruments or devices beyond the point in the nasal passages where they normally narrow,
- Insert or remove instruments, devices, or fingers beyond the pharynx,
- Insert or remove instruments or devices into an artificial opening into the body, and
- Administer oral diagnostic imaging contrast agents.
Restricted activities for audiologists include to:
- Insert or remove instruments or devices beyond the cartilaginous portion of the ear canal,
- Insert into the ear canal: liquid, air or gas under pressure, and
- Insert into the ear canal: a substance that subsequently solidifies.
Supervision refers to “a dynamic and evolving process involving the oversight of another’s work. Regardless of the relationship, the purpose of supervision is to help ensure the delivery of competent, safe and ethical speech-language and audiology services. As part of the supervision process, the supervisee remains responsible and accountable for their own actions.”
Direct supervision refers to “the supervising SLP or audiologist being physically present within the environment or virtually present via real-time videoconferencing. The SLP or audiologist observes the SP carry out the assigned activity and can provide immediate feedback, redirection, and modeling as necessary.”
Indirect supervision refers to “the supervising SLP or audiologist not being physically or virtually present when an assigned activity is being carried out. The SLP or audiologist monitors and evaluates the supervisee’s performance of assigned activities by reviewing audio/video recordings, written records, and/or through discussions with the supervisee, clients, family, caregivers, team members, and/or employers.”
Support personnel refers to “individuals who, following academic and/or on-the-job training, perform activities that are assigned and supervised by a speech-language pathologist or audiologist registered with ACSLPA. Individuals functioning as support personnel may have a variety of working titles. This excludes teachers, volunteers, students training in speech-language pathology and audiology, and family members.”