How IBHBOT Credentials Compare
A side-by-side crosswalk of IBHBOT credentials and the credentials and training standards of the other boards and societies in hyperbaric and diving medicine. Every figure for another organization comes from that organization’s own published documents, listed at the bottom of this page with links.
Who Issues What
Each organization defines its levels differently, so this table lines them up by the role a person fills.
| Role | IBHBOT | NBDHMT | Other organizations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hyperbaric technician | Associate Hyperbaric Technician (AHT) on passing the course and board exam, then Registered Hyperbaric Technician (RHT) after 500 documented clinical hours | Hyperbaric technologist credential, NBDHMT’s first and only technician level. Issued after the course, 480 clinical hours and the exam. Requires an existing license or certification. | IBUM offers basic, intermediate and advanced technician levels. UHMS does not certify individuals; it refers them to NBDHMT. |
| Hyperbaric nurse | Associate Hyperbaric Nurse (AHN), then Hyperbaric Nurse Specialist (HNS) | Hyperbaric registered nurse credentials, set by the Baromedical Nurses Association Certification Board and administered by NBDHMT | — |
| Physician assistant, nurse practitioner, physician | Hyperbaric Medicine Provider (HMP) | — | UHMS PATH program. Physician board certification in undersea and hyperbaric medicine through ABPM or ABEM, which requires a fellowship. |
| Dive medical technician, paramedic, NP or PA | DMT-A | One diver medic technician credential, not tiered by license | IBUM offers DMT and advanced DMT levels. |
| Dive medical technician, EMT | DMT-B | ||
| Commercial diver medic without an EMT or paramedic license | DMT-C | Not offered. The credential requires EMT-level training. | IMCA diver medic, trained to IMCA D 020 |
Hyperbaric Technician
| Requirement | IBHBOT AHT | IBHBOT RHT | NBDHMT technologist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who may apply | Anyone 18 or older with a high school diploma. No license required. | A current AHT | Must be 18 or older with a high school diploma and hold an RT, RN, LPN/LVN, NP, PA, EMT or paramedic credential, be an active-duty corpsman, or be a licensed physician. NBDHMT states it is not an entry-level qualification. |
| Course | IBHBOT Introduction to Hyperbaric Medicine, 41.5 hours, completed within 3 years | Same course, already completed | NBDHMT-approved 40-hour introductory course, completed within 3 years |
| Supervised experience | None. The AHT works under the hyperbaric physician’s license and direction. | 500 clinical hours, at least 40 under direct preceptor supervision, plus a signed competency checklist, transcutaneous oximetry sign-off where performed, two emergency drill records and a director attestation | 480 clinical hours, including a 40-hour supervised internship with the supervisor physically present |
| Examination | 150 questions (125 scored), timed, online | Portfolio review | 120 questions, 2 hours, 70% to pass, at a recognized testing center |
| Renewal | Every 2 years: 24 CE hours (12 hyperbaric-specific) and current BLS | Every 2 years: 24 CE hours (12 hyperbaric-specific), current BLS and 100 facility hours | Every 2 years: 24 CE hours (12 Category A) and 100 clinical hours |
NBDHMT issues one technician credential, once the candidate has completed 480 clinical hours. IBHBOT splits that path in two. The AHT is issued at the end of the course, so a new technician holds a recognized credential while gaining experience, including technicians without a license. The RHT follows once 500 documented hours are behind them.
Hyperbaric Nurse
| Requirement | IBHBOT AHN | IBHBOT HNS | Hyperbaric registered nurse credential (BNACB / NBDHMT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| License | Current, unrestricted RN or LPN | A current AHN | Unrestricted RN license, 2 years of hospital clinical experience (or 1 year in critical care), and 1 year of hyperbaric experience |
| Course | IBHBOT Introduction to Hyperbaric Medicine, 41.5 hours | Same course, already completed | Approved 40-hour course within 5 years, or 40 Category A CE hours |
| Supervised experience | None | Documented clinical hours set by the board, signed by a qualified preceptor and the facility’s medical or program director | 480 hours of direct patient care, signed by a credentialed preceptor |
| Examination | Timed online exam | Portfolio review | 120 questions, 2 hours, 70% to pass, at a designated testing site |
| Renewal | Every 2 years with continuing education, while the nursing license is current | Every 2 years with continuing education, while the nursing license is current | Every 4 years: 40 CE hours (20 Category A) |
Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners and Physicians
| Requirement | IBHBOT HMP | UHMS PATH | ABPM / ABEM subspecialty certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who may apply | Current PA, NP, MD or DO license | MD, DO, MBBS, NP, APRN and PA | Physicians board-certified in a primary specialty |
| Training | IBHBOT Introduction to Hyperbaric Medicine, 41.5 hours | A UHMS-designated 40-hour introductory course, then about 84 hours of self-directed online study and an in-person skills lab | ACGME fellowship in undersea and hyperbaric medicine |
| Examination | Timed online exam | Final exam, 75% to pass | Board examination (ABEM’s is given at a Prometric test center) |
| Maintenance | Every 2 years with continuing education, while licensed | 12 hyperbaric CME hours a year and UHMS membership | Set by each board |
The HMP recognizes the course and the board exam. It is not specialty board certification, and it does not by itself meet any hospital, payer or accreditor requirement for supervising hyperbaric treatment.
Dive Medical Technician
| Requirement | IBHBOT DMT-A and DMT-B | IBHBOT DMT-C | NBDHMT diver medic | IMCA diver medic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who may apply | DMT-A: paramedic, NP or PA. DMT-B: EMT. | Commercial divers without an EMT or paramedic license | Completion of a DOT-recognized EMT curriculum, plus a fitness-to-pressurize medical certificate | Set out in IMCA D 020 (Rev. 1.3, 2024), which is published to IMCA members |
| Course | IBHBOT DMT course, 40 hours | IBHBOT DMT-C course, 80 hours: 40 hours of online academics in emergency and dive medicine, plus a 40-hour hands-on skills week | Approved course taught by approved instructors. No course length is published. | IMCA-approved diver medic course |
| Clinical skills | Set by the license held. The credential tier follows the license. | Hands-on skills week with a signed skills portfolio | A single list of invasive skills (IV, IM/SQ, urinary catheter, NG tube, suction, advanced airway, chest decompression) for every holder | Set out in IMCA D 020 |
| Examination | Timed online board exam | Timed online board exam | Standardized written exam of 120 questions | Set out in IMCA D 020 |
| Renewal | Every 2 years: 24 CE hours, 12 in diving or hyperbaric medicine | Every 2 years: 24 CE hours, 12 in diving or hyperbaric medicine | Every 2 years: 24 hours of training plus 24 hours of ambulance or ER observation | Set out in IMCA D 020 |
IBHBOT ties each DMT tier to the license the holder already practices under, so the credential never implies skills outside that license. Equivalency is available for current holders of another board’s diver medic credential.
Curriculum: Introduction to Hyperbaric Medicine
The table maps the IBHBOT course against the topics UHMS requires of an introductory course and the minimum hours in NBDHMT’s published introductory course standard. Both organizations require at least 40 hours. The IBHBOT course is 41.5 contact hours across 17 modules, with 117 learning objectives.
| Content area | UHMS required topic | NBDHMT minimum hours | IBHBOT module | IBHBOT hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| History and the professional roles | ✓ | — | I1 History, Professional Roles and Clinical Practice | 1.5 |
| Physics | ✓ | 2.0 | C2 Physics of the Pressurized Environment | 3.5 |
| Physiology under pressure | — | — | C3 Physiology Under Pressure | 3.5 |
| Air decompression | ✓ | 1.5 | C4 Decompression Theory and Modeling | 2.5 |
| Decompression sickness and gas embolism | — | — | C5 Decompression Sickness and Arterial Gas Embolism | 3.5 |
| Barotrauma | — | — | C6 Barotrauma | 2.5 |
| Patient assessment | ✓ | 3.0 | C7 Patient Assessment and Documentation Under Pressure | 2.0 |
| Infection prevention | — | 0.5 | C8 Infection Prevention and Control | 1.0 |
| Mechanisms and indications | ✓ | 5.0 | H1 Mechanisms and Indications | 4.5 |
| Side effects, risks and contraindications | ✓ | 4.0 | H2 Risk Factors, Contraindications and Complications | 2.5 |
| Chamber systems and equipment | ✓ | 4.0 | H3 Chamber Systems, Equipment and Gas Delivery | 3.5 |
| Safety and emergency procedures | ✓ | 5.0 | H4 Hyperbaric Safety, Fire Prevention and Emergency Procedures | 4.5 |
| Transcutaneous oxygen monitoring | — | 2.0 | H5 Transcutaneous Oxygen Monitoring | 2.0 |
| Administration | ✓ | 1.0 | H6 Program Administration, Accreditation and Documentation | 1.0 |
| Practical orientation and equipment familiarization | ✓ | 6.0 | I2 Clinical and Technical Practicum | 1.5 |
| Evaluation | ✓ | 1.0 | I3 Capstone and Final Examination | 2.0 |
| Allocated by the course director | — | 5.0 | — | — |
| Total | 40 minimum | 40 | 17 modules | 41.5 |
Why the Hours Are Weighted Differently
The two courses carry the same total hours, divided differently. That is common when one board’s standard is set against another’s. Every topic in both standards is taught.
- More time on the science of pressure. Physics, physiology, decompression, decompression sickness and gas embolism, and barotrauma total 15.5 hours in the IBHBOT course, against 3.5 hours of minimums in the NBDHMT standard. IBHBOT considers this the foundation everything else rests on, so a technician understands why each procedure is done, not only how.
- More time on infection prevention and evaluation. Infection prevention gets double the minimum, and the capstone and final examination get double.
- Hands-on practice moves to the workplace. IBHBOT gives less classroom time to practical orientation. Hands-on competence is verified where the work is done: through 500 documented clinical hours, a signed competency checklist, emergency drill records and transcutaneous oximetry sign-off in the RHT and HNS portfolios.
Curriculum: Dive Medical Technician
The table maps the IBHBOT DMT course (40 hours, 16 modules, 113 learning objectives) against the sections of NBDHMT’s approved diver medic course outline.
| NBDHMT outline section | IBHBOT module |
|---|---|
| Introductions and the diver medic’s role | C1 The Dive Medical Technician Role, Credentialing and Scope of Practice |
| Physics and physiology | C2 Physics of the Pressurized Environment; C3 Physiology Under Pressure |
| Decompression sickness and gas embolism | C4 Decompression Theory and Modeling; C5 Decompression Sickness and Arterial Gas Embolism |
| Patient assessment | C7 Patient Assessment and Documentation Under Pressure; D1 Differential Diagnosis in Diving Medicine |
| Barotrauma | C6 Barotrauma |
| Recompression treatment procedures | D2 Recompression Treatment Procedures and the Treatment Tables |
| Invasive procedures | D3 Invasive Procedures and Clinical Skills Under Pressure |
| Other diving injuries and complications | D4 Gas Toxicities, Marine Life and Thermal Imbalance |
| Chamber, equipment and operational safety | D5 Chamber Operations and Operational Safety |
| Not in the outline | C8 Infection Prevention and Control; D6 Field and Operational Practice; D7 Integrated Scenarios and Final Examination |
How the Training Is Delivered
| Organization | Published position on course delivery |
|---|---|
| UHMS | Requires introductory courses to be face-to-face or livestreamed. Does not recognize introductory training delivered as self-paced, enduring online material. Its own PATH program delivers about 84 hours of study online and self-directed. |
| NBDHMT | Permits live virtual introductory courses, which must undergo a real-time audit. Its published policy does not provide for self-paced courses. The technologist internship must be supervised in person. |
| IMCA | Added requirements for hybrid delivery of diver medic courses in 2024. |
| IBHBOT | Accepts self-paced online academics. Hands-on competence is verified where it is performed: in the DMT-C skills week, through the license behind DMT-A and DMT-B, and through supervised hours and signed competencies for the RHT and HNS. |
IBHBOT separates what can be learned at a candidate’s own pace from what must be shown in person. The candidate studies the science, indications and procedures on their own schedule, from anywhere in the world. They then demonstrate skills under supervision in the setting where the skills are used.
Already Hold Another Board’s Credential?
Current holders of a comparable credential from another recognized board can apply for the IBHBOT equivalent without retaking the course. For example, a diver medic credential with an EMT license qualifies for DMT-B, and an IMCA diver medic credential held by a commercial diver qualifies for DMT-C.
Sources
Figures for other organizations were taken from their published documents in October 2026. Requirements change, so check the current version with each organization before relying on it. IBHBOT is not affiliated with and is not endorsed by any organization listed here. All names belong to their owners.
- NBDHMT technologist resource manual, July 2026: nbdhmt.org
- NBDHMT approved introductory training course standard, October 2022: nbdhmt.org
- NBDHMT diver medic resource manual, April 2023: nbdhmt.org
- NBDHMT approved diver medic course outline, March 2022: nbdhmt.org
- NBDHMT diver medic examination guidelines: nbdhmt.org
- NBDHMT position statements, including live virtual courses: nbdhmt.org
- Hyperbaric registered nurse resource manual, June 2024: nbdhmt.org
- UHMS introductory courses: uhms.org
- UHMS certification of individuals: uhms.org
- UHMS PATH: courses-uhms.org
- ABPM undersea and hyperbaric medicine: theabpm.org
- ABEM undersea and hyperbaric medicine: abem.org
- IMCA D 020, Rev. 1.3, September 2024: imca-int.com
- IBUM credentials: ibum.org