Registration FAQ

The deadline for registration renewal is March 31 at midnight PST. A late fee is incurred upon late renewal, whether you feel you were made aware of renewal deadlines or not. If notice of renewal was missed, it is possible that you:

• are not registered with the CDBC (practicing illegally)
• moved or changed email addresses, but have not updated this contact information in your CDBC profile
• changed jobs and/or employers but haven’t updated current workplace information in your CDBC profile.
• forgot your user ID and/or password and cannot access your CDBC profile
• “unsubscribed” from the Constant Contact software that delivers CDBC correspondence.

There are many reasons why you may choose not to renew registration with the CDBC – maternity/parental leave, career change, travel, etc.

Please review CDBC Policies Reinstatement of Former and Non-Practicing Registrants for details on implications for your career.

Statutory Declarations are statements of truth that all registrants must fulfill as part of registration with the CDBC. Because registration expires on March 31 annually, the Statutory Declarations must also be agreed to with each registration renewal. These statements declare that the registrant will:

• always practice dietetics in compliance with the Health Professions Act, the Dietitians Regulation and the CDBC bylaws.
• have professional liability insurance for all practice settings, in an amount of not less than two million dollars per occurrence.
• maintain competence with dietetic practice by completing and submitting a CCP yearly.

submit a Consent to Criminal Record Re­check to CDBC and completed the Jurisprudence Examination (JED) for Dietitians every 5 years as required.

No, the Sany’as Indigenous Cultural Safety (ICS) Training Course is not a requirement for registration with the CDBC. However, registrants may include the ICS Training Course as a learning activity if this training contributes to their CCP goals. Refer to San’yas ICS Training and FNHA Cultural Humility for more information.

In addition, registrants are encouraged to visit CDBC CSH page to review content and information about the ICSH and Anti-Racism Practice Standard.

A: CDBC registrants with “non-practicing” status are permitted to use the title “Registered Dietitian – Non-Practicing” and the initials “RD (NP)”. Registrants with non-practicing status must not practice dietetics, including any volunteer dietetic work. RD(NP)s may vote at CDBC general meetings and may serve on CDBC committees. They are kept informed of CDBC activities and continue to receive regular communications from the College. RD(NP)s are identified on the CDBC’s public register of Dietitians as “non-practicing”.

The CDBC bylaws, section 56, require that “a registrant must immediately notify the registrar of any change in address, name or any other registration information previously provided to the registrar.” If you have changed your employer, or any other CDBC Registration information, you may inform the CDBC of any of these changes by updating the information in your CDBC online profile.

To add a new employer to your profile:

• Sign into your CDBC online account, go to “Update my Employer”
• Click on “Add Employer” and select from the drop-down list. (If your employer is not in the list, or the information about your employer is incorrect, please contact the CDBC.
• Answer the “Primary Employer?” question by choosing “yes” or “no”
• Select the type of “work setting” from the drop-down list and enter employment “start date” (and “end date” where applicable)
• Select “Save” to submit.

To change current employer information:

• From the Employment screen, select “Edit”
• Update “Primary Employer”, “Work Setting”, “Start Date” and “End Date” information
• Select “Save” to submit.

To remove an employer from your profile:

• From the Employment screen, select “Remove”
• Select “Continue” when answering the question “Are you sure you want to remove this employer?”

If you have any problems with registration renewal contact the CDBC before proceeding to payment. Your registration renewal must be completed successfully on or before 11:59:59 pm on March 31, otherwise you may not use the title Registered Dietitian and practice dietetics on April 1.

In accordance to section 21(2) of the Health Professions Act, “the registrar must maintain a register setting out, for every person granted registration under this Act, the following (a) the person’s name, whether the person is a registrant or a former registrant, and, if the person is a registrant, the person’s business address and business telephone number…”

The College’s Privacy Statement provides additional information on how the CDBC complies with BC privacy legislation while meeting its mandate of public protection.

Because employers and unions may have differing requirements than the College, you are encouraged to consider this an employment question. It is recommended to refer the former registrant to approach the employer to determine employer requirements. Whether a dietitian is required by the employer to maintain registrant status with the College could depend on the type of leave: medical (long-term, short term), maternity/parental leave, leave of absence where the employer may or may not have an obligation to preserve the employee’s position.

The CDBC doesn’t have any restrictions regarding dual registrations. You should inform your other regulatory College of your dual registration as scopes of practice may be narrow/limited in one profession as compared to the other. It is also important for you to consider situations where you may have to manage separation of roles/scope in meeting the CDBC’s legislation, policies and guidelines. You are encouraged to contact other regulatory organizations to find out if they set restrictions regarding dual registration as well (may differ among health professions).

In BC, health care professions can be regulated or unregulated. You can read about regulated health care professions here.

Is your side business or existing profession regulated? If so, please refer above to Q11 of the Registration Q&A.

Is your side business or existing profession unregulated? Read on!

This Q&A has been designed to help you think on how to best address the regulatory responsibilities of a dietitian when also working in an unregulated role. Use of an unregulated job title (for example, “certified herbal therapist”, “certified personal trainer”, “coach”) in combination with your Dietitian title will mean that the responsibilities you have as regulated health professional will likely limit the scope and actions attached to the unregulated profession. This is especially true since clients and other members of the public can likely identify that you have two distinct professions, linked by one professional… you. Here are some considerations:

1. Are you marketing yourself and your business(es) appropriately in the context of CDBC requirements?
   1. You may not practice dietetics using your unregulated professional title.
   2. Key points to consider in CDBC Bylaw¹ section 77. Dietitians must:
      1. not market and sell services and products that are unrelated to dietetics.
      2. offer alternatives to a specific product or brand, in addition to the one you are endorsing or associated with.
      3. understand the definition of marketing. This definition is also used in the Marketing Standards².
   3. Review the Marketing Standards², Social Media Guidelines³, and Testimonial Position Statement⁴. When advertising both your regulated and unregulated businesses, best practices outlined by Ad Standards Canada Disclosure Guidelines⁵ are applicable to both your regulated and unregulated businesses.

• Are you avoiding conflict of interest situations?
  1. Review the Conflict of Interest and Sales Policy⁶ in the context of having two distinct businesses in two different professions. Your Dietitian title can only be used for dietetic services.
  2. Are you keeping sales separated from counselling? Per Conflict of Interest and Sales Policy 3(b)⁶, there is an expectation for you to keep any dietetic product sales separate from therapeutic care in order to maintain trust and integrity in your professional relationship. This can be expanded to include the requirement to keep your regulated and unregulated businesses separate.

• Be aware of the CDBC expectations of pursuing a therapeutic relationship between you and your client. Review Where’s the Line? Professional Boundaries in Therapeutic Relationships⁷, keeping in mind that if your clients have the potential to access you in both of your professions, the innate power imbalance between practitioner and client exists in both circumstances, and these principles apply to both of your professional roles.

• Be familiar with the Code of Ethics⁸ principles to which Dietitians are held. Be aware of situations where your professional integrity could be interpreted as being compromised. It may be useful to consult the Ethical Problem Solving Tool at the end of the Code of Ethics.

• Are you aware that the CDBC has the authority to investigate registrants for on and off-duty conduct? In this context, “off-duty” is interpreted as time when you are (1) conducting personal business on-line, and (2) when you are conducting business using your other professional title. Please see Q3 of the Social Media Q&A⁹ for more details.

• As with any area of practice for a dietitian, it is pertinent to ensure you are providing evidence-informed recommendations. Refer to the Evidence-Informed Practice Q&A¹⁰ for more information. It is also important to consider possible allergic reactions to any ingredients or to be aware of any drug-nutrient interactions, in addition to contraindications for use in certain populations and food safety issues. Given that many herbal products and supplements may not have an NPN, you should consider that the robustness of the studies and safety data is likely lacking in many of the products you may access in your unregulated profession. You should familiarize yourself with the NPN legislation.

• Refer to the CDBC Private Practice Resource¹¹ for information on considerations for setting up a private practice. With regards to licensing or incorporating your business(es), the CDBC doesn’t have any guidance on how to set up your businesses, nor whether you need a license or incorporation. You could start at this BC government website for more information.

• You may also want to refer to the Decision Tool for New Aspects of Dietetic Practice¹² to aid you when reflecting on questions you have while balancing two professional roles, one regulated, and the other unregulated.

This is not meant to be an exhaustive list of considerations and the hope is that you will be in touch with the College when you have a question or concern about how to proceed in your dietetic practice.

Resources:

1. CDBC bylaws
2. CDBC Marketing Standards
3. CDBC Social Media Guidelines
4. CDBC Testimonial Position Statement
5. Ad Standards Canada Disclosure Guidelines
6. CDBC Conflict of Interest and Sales Policy
7. CDBC Where’s the Line? Professional Boundaries in Therapeutic Relationships
8. CDBC Code of Ethics
9. CDBC Social Media Q&A
10. CDBC Evidence Informed Practice Q&A
11. CDBC Private Practice Resource
12. CDBC Decision Tool for New Aspects of Dietetic Practice

Many of the points in Q12 pertain to you in your unrelated business:

• Best practices outlined by Ad Standards Canada Disclosure Guidelines¹ are applicable to both your regulated and unrelated business ventures.
•  Review the Conflict of Interest and Sales Policy² in the context of having two distinct businesses in two different professions. Your Dietitian title can only be used for dietetic services. In this scenario, you would remain registered with the CDBC for your job as a dietitian. You would NOT be allowed to use your title for your unrelated job, nor would you be permitted to practice dietetics in that unrelated job.
• Be familiar with the Code of Ethics³ principles to which Dietitians are held. Be aware of situations where your professional integrity could be interpreted as being compromised. It may be useful to consult the Ethical Problem-Solving Tool at the end of the Code of Ethics.
• In the Social Media Guidelines⁴, as with the Marketing Bylaws⁵, which continue to apply to you, as a registrant of the CDBC, any social media accounts that are not specific to your dietetic role, can be considered as “personal accounts”. It is always possible for members of the public to connect your professional account and your personal account(s). With that lens, the following sections of the guidelines can help inform you regarding your online presence:
  • Professional regulators, such as the CDBC, have the authority to investigate and discipline registrants for off-duty conduct where a sufficiently negative impact on the profession and the public’s interest can be demonstrated.
  • Keep professional and personal social media accounts separate. Use professional language on personal pages since they are accessible to members of the public. It is important to emphasize clear separation of your businesses and provide clear disclosure to the public on your roles.
  • Assume all content on the internet is public, permanent, and accessible to all.
  • Refrain from using professional titles and initials or making references to being a member of the profession when representing personal views.

Please reach out the CDBC if you have any questions about your specific circumstance.

1. Ad Standards Canada Disclosure Guidelines
2. CDBC Conflict of Interest and Sales Policy
3. CDBC Code of Ethics
4. CDBC Social Media Guidelines
5. CDBC bylaws

If you are currently a full registrant, you will remain a full registrant until registration expiry date on March 31.

Please see your options for registration below:

1. Renew your Full registration between March 1 and 31.

• You still need to complete the CCP by March 31.
• If you’ve been selected at the 5-year mark, you also have to complete the Jurisprudence Examination (JED) and/or a criminal records check (CRC).
• You will continue to receive all communications from the College.
• You can continue to use title “RD” or “Dietitian” as well as work in any dietetic field.

2. Renew as Non-Practicing between March 1 and 31 (option available to Full registrants only).

• You will not be required to complete an annual CCP (see Q9 of the CCP Q&A).
• You will not be able to practice or volunteer as a dietitian or use the title RD.
• RD(NP) title is allowed.
• You will continue to receive all communications from the College.
• Plan to complete a reinstatement application (within 3 years) at least one month before returning to work. This can be done at any point throughout the year, and requires that you provide a criminal records check, updated CCP (see Q17 for details about completing your CCP for reinstatement), notarized statutory declaration, reinstatement application and fee, and registration fee.

3. Resign from the CDBC by March 31 (option available for all registration types, with the exception of RD(T)).

• You will not be required to complete an annual CCP, JED or CRC for this option (see Q9 of the CCP Q&A).
• You will have an inactive status and you will appear inactive on the public register.
• You will not receive any communications from the College.
• Plan to complete a reinstatement application (within 3 years) at least one month before returning to work (see explanation in point #2). See Q17 for details about completing your CCP for reinstatement.
• To resign, please login to your CDBC account and select “not renewing” and follow the prompts to confirm resignation.

Log into your CDBC account. Scroll down to ‘Online Services’ and select ‘Receipts’. Select ‘Tax’ and then, in the drop down, select the tax year.  Right click on the receipt page and select ‘Print’, then select ‘Save as PDF’. If you would like the CDBC to complete this task for you, please note that you will be charged a $27 fee for this service, payable through Online Services. Email info@collegeofdietitiansbc.org.

Yes. There are conditions to reinstatement that are dependent upon the length of time you have been off the register. Refer to the requirements listed under the Former Registrants section of the website. Refer to Reinstatement of Former and Non-Practicing Registrants Policy and Continuing Competence Requirement for Reinstatement Within Three Years Policy.

Completing the CCP for Reinstatement within 3 years

Per the CCP Requirement for Reinstatement Within 3 years Policy, reinstating from a resigned or non-practicing status, requires completion of an updated CCP. The CDBC is required to ensure registrants are practicing safely, competently, and ethically, and there is no exception for a former registrant who is returning to practice.

It is important to note that you should plan to complete your reinstatement application at least one month before you plan to return to work.

For details involved in the CCP, you are encouraged to review the CCP section of the website. You can also access the CCP Reinstatement Video.

CCP Report Timeline

Your CCP report can include your learning activities during resignation and any activities planned for your return to work.

Staff at the CDBC is looking at your CCP to assess that your practice is current and safe, as you reinstate your registration and return to practice.

Therefore, the timeline you report on depends on:

1. If you have been able to complete some learning activities while resigned, the means of which have satisfied a dietetic-related goal, you can report on these retrospectively. Examples might include that you went on maternity (or other) leave and

• continued to review meeting minutes from dietitians’ meeting at your place of employment;
• completed literature reviews or kept up to date on publications and best practice in an area that interests you;
• undertook activities to keep up your skill and competence (which do not include actively practicing dietetics while resigned). These can include informal discussion with colleagues.

2. If you have not done any learning during your time off, you will be looking forward. You will make goals that you plan to achieve upon your return to work. Examples might include:
   • Planned job shadowing or on the job training with a colleague;
   • Completion of case studies or consultation with a colleague for certain areas of practice (for example, activities that require Restricted Activities);
   • Review of best practice, guidelines/policies that have been updated during your absence.

Note: if you will be registering with Restricted Activities, you must include goals for EN/PN, as outlined in ‘Self- Assessment Relative to Standards of Practice’ on the CCP section of the website.

CCP Reporting Year

Here is an example. You have resigned on April 1, 2021. In July, 2021, you wish to reinstate. You start an application for reinstatement within 3 years with the CDBC and access your 2022 CCP. You determine how your goals and learning activities will be reported (ie., will you be looking back to report on learning you undertook April – July 2021, or will you look forward (July 2021 – March 31, 2022), to determine the learning you will be undertaking to stay current and practice safely?

You thereby fill out this information in your 2022 CCP in July of 2021. Upon assessment, you are reinstated. Your 2022 CCP stays open and available for you to update until March 31, 2022. When you renew your registration between March 1 and 31, 2022, you submit your final 2022 CCP for that registration year.

Carrying CCP Goals to Another Year

In keeping with the example above, you wish to bring a goal from your previous CCP into your current CCP. It is acceptable to do this. To do this, you can look at a read-only version of your previously completed CCP, by logging into SkilSure and the CCP. Follow the instructions in Q15 of the CCP Q&A.

Your current open CCP is blank until you begin to populate it, first by completing the Self-Assessment and selecting the same standard/indicator of practice as the previous CCP learning report. You can then copy and paste the wording of your goal from one CCP into the next.

You can also view this explanation in the Step by Step CCP video on the CCP FAQ.

You can view your current status on the Public Register at any time. 

Note that the entry reflects your current status as of TODAY, with an expiry of March 31 of this year. On April 1, the Public Register will be updated to reflect the renewal you just completed. 

The staff at the CDBC recognize that circumstances beyond your control may affect your ability to complete the annual CCP. The Accommodation Requests during Registration Renewal Policy (on the Registration Page) is available to provide clarity on, and inform registrants of, the process whereby they can request an extension for CCP and/or renewal payment without losing the ability to maintain registration in good standing. Please reach out to info@collegeofdietitiansbc.org as early as possible if you find that this policy applies to you.

The staff at the CDBC recognize that circumstances beyond your control may affect your ability to meet some application requirements. The Accommodation Requests for Registration Applications Policy (on the Registration Page) is available to provide clarity on, and inform applicants and former registrants of, the process whereby they may request an accommodation on registration fee, time limitation on open applications and staff support to complete an application. Please reach out to info@collegeofdietitiansbc.org as early as possible if you find that this policy applies to you