Students admitted to the Master of Physical (MPT) must maintain current certification in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) throughout their time in the program. At present this means a current proof of certification on entry to the MPT and re-certification when certification expires. Requirements across clinical sites can vary in terms of certification currency and level, therefore students must be prepared to meet at least this minimal standard of CPR certification as described below.
The requirement is the equivalent standard to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada's Basic Life Support (BLS) Provider, or Health Care Providers (HCP), which includes the application of an external defibrillator device (AED). Please note: CPR Level C is NOT an equivalent course and will not be accepted. There are other CPR providers (such as Canadian Red Cross) which offer equivalent certification and these will be accepted. The following link will provide more information about the Heart and Stroke Foundation BLS Provider Course and assist in comparison for equivalence:
https://resuscitation.heartandstroke.ca/courses/bls/description
It is best to contact agencies which provide CPR certification courses in advance to ensure equivalency as described above. Clarify with them that this also includes ‘use of an external defibrillator device (AED)’. Specify that you are a student at the School of Rehabilitation Science for consideration of a reduced rate. Saskatchewan Polytechnic and the College of Kinesiology, U of S, offer equivalent courses on a less regular basis. Students must inquire to ensure the content is equivalent to the Heart and Stroke Foundation course when registering for CPR courses from other agencies. In other centres, inquire at your provincial Heart and Stroke Foundation office or at community colleges. Clarify in advance the fee being charged.
If the student has been certified within the 12 months previous to entry to the MPT, that certification is acceptable, as long as it has not expired, and proof of certification must be submitted by the date specified in the admissions package, in the year of entry. However, once the certification expires, the student will need to re-certify again while in the MPT to maintain a basic level of CPR certification currency.
Students entering first year of the MPT must submit a scanned copy of their Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certification, including date of certification, by the date specified in the admissions package, to pt.admissiondocuments@usask.ca.
(Reviewed and revised May 5, 2023)