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Core course for every profession

Ethics for Health Practitioners: A Practical Framework Built on the Codes of Conduct

A Practical Ethical Decision Framework for Every Registered Profession

  • 2 CPD hoursEstimated learning time
  • 15-question assessmentPass mark 80%
  • Online, self-pacedStart any time
  • CertificateFor your CPD records

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About this course

Most ethical problems in practice do not look like textbook dilemmas. They look like a family member asking you to keep a secret, an employer target that does not sit right, a patient who wants something you think is unwise, or a colleague whose behaviour is starting to worry you. You have to decide quickly, and if anyone later asks why, you need to be able to explain your reasoning against the standards your Board expects.

Those standards are set out in the codes of conduct: the shared Code adopted by twelve National Boards, Good medical practice, the nursing and midwifery codes and the Psychology Board's code. Boards use them as evidence of appropriate conduct, and the shared Code's principles are meant to apply even to situations it does not name. Knowing the code is necessary, but it is not enough without a reliable way to apply it.

This course gives you that method. You will learn a seven-step framework, principle and practical tests, and how to record your reasoning, then apply them to partnership, honesty, confidentiality, cultural safety, conflicts of interest, conscientious objection, colleagues, AI and moral distress, using cases from across the professions.

Who this course is for

  • Registered practitioners in any National Scheme profession who want a practical ethics refresher
  • Practitioners covered by the shared Code of conduct, including dental, pharmacy, physiotherapy, podiatry, optometry, chiropractic, osteopathy, occupational therapy, paramedicine, medical radiation, Chinese medicine and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners
  • Doctors, nurses, midwives and psychologists wanting a cross-professional decision framework
  • Practice owners and managers balancing business pressures with professional obligations
  • Supervisors and educators teaching ethical reasoning to students and early-career practitioners
  • Practitioners asked to reflect on an ethical issue after feedback or a concern (check with your Board whether a course is suitable)

What you’ll learn

  • Decide with a method

    Use a seven-step framework and practical tests to turn ethical discomfort into a clear, defensible decision.

  • Apply your code with confidence

    Know which code applies to you and how Boards use it, and apply its principles to situations it does not name.

  • Handle conflicts and pressures

    Manage conflicts of interest, conscientious objection and employer targets without compromising patients.

  • Record and reflect

    Document ethical reasoning proportionately and build habits that make ethical practice routine.

Learning objectives

  • Explain how ethics, law and professional codes relate and which code applies to your profession.
  • Describe how National Boards use codes of conduct when assessing practitioners' conduct.
  • Apply a seven-step ethical decision framework to situations in your practice.
  • Test options using ethical principles and practical checks, including the self-interest test.
  • Apply the codes' expectations on partnership, honesty, confidentiality and cultural safety.
  • Recognise and manage conflicts of interest, conscientious objection and business pressures.
  • Respond proportionately to concerns about colleagues and treat colleagues with respect.
  • Apply ethical reasoning to telehealth and AI, and seek support for moral distress.

Scenarios covered

Practice situations you reason through, step by step, in the course.

  • The secret phone call

    A client's daughter asks an occupational therapist to recommend residential care and not tell her father they spoke. You will work the full seven-step framework.

  • The product on the shelf

    A physiotherapist sells equipment in her clinic. You will apply conflict-of-interest management that keeps recommendations based on need.

  • The objection at the counter

    A pharmacist objects to supplying emergency contraception and lectures the customer. You will separate legitimate objection from judgement and obstruction.

  • Orthotics for everyone

    A new graduate podiatrist is told every patient should leave with custom orthotics. You will weigh employer targets against individual obligations.

  • The truck driver's seizures

    A client discloses a serious risk to others but refuses to act. You will reason through the limits of confidentiality.

  • The AI-drafted note

    A clinician starts using an AI scribe. You will apply accountability, transparency and accuracy checks.

Course contents

6 sections, 21 lessons, then the final assessment.

  1. Section 1: Ethics, Law and the Codes of Conduct3 lessons
    • 1.1 Why Ethics Is Every Practitioner's Business
    • 1.2 Which Code Applies to You
    • 1.3 How Boards Use the Code
  2. Section 2: A Practical Ethical Decision Framework5 lessons
    • 2.1 Seven Steps for Ethical Decisions
    • 2.2 Testing Your Options
    • 2.3 The Framework in Action
    • 2.4 Common Ethical Traps
    • 2.5 Recording Ethical Reasoning
  3. Section 3: Respecting People: Partnership, Honesty and Cultural Safety4 lessons
    • 3.1 Partnership and Shared Decision-Making
    • 3.2 Honesty, Information and Hard Conversations
    • 3.3 Confidentiality and Its Ethical Limits
    • 3.4 Cultural Safety and Non-Discrimination
  4. Section 4: Integrity: Conflicts of Interest, Beliefs and Business Pressures3 lessons
    • 4.1 Conflicts of Interest
    • 4.2 Personal Beliefs and Conscientious Objection
    • 4.3 Employers, Targets and Business Practices
  5. Section 5: Colleagues, the System and Speaking Up3 lessons
    • 5.1 Working Respectfully with Colleagues
    • 5.2 Raising Concerns About Colleagues
    • 5.3 Fairness, Vexatious Notifications and Stewardship
  6. Section 6: Ethics in a Changing Practice Environment3 lessons
    • 6.1 Digital Health, Telehealth and Artificial Intelligence
    • 6.2 Moral Distress and Ethical Support
    • 6.3 Building Ethical Habits
  7. Final assessment and written reflection15 questions

Assessment and certificate

  1. Work through the course

    Study each section at your own pace, including the case illustrations and apply-it questions.

  2. Pass the assessment

    15 scenario-based questions. You need 12 correct (80%) to pass.

  3. Write your reflection

    A short written reflection on how the learning applies to your own practice.

  4. Download your certificate

    Shows your name, the course, the date and 2 CPD hours. Anyone can check it on our verification page.

What you keep for your CPD records

  • A certificate of completion recording approximately 2 CPD hours of learning
  • A written reflective account applying the framework to your own practice
  • A one-page quick reference to the seven steps and the principle and practical tests
  • A checklist of common ethical traps and their antidotes

How certificates and CPD records workVerify a certificate

Primary sources

The course is built on these official documents. Check them for the current version.

Questions about this course

Is this course recognised by Ahpra or a National Board?

No. It is not accredited, not approved and not endorsed by Ahpra or any National Board. It is independent education based on the published codes. You record the time you actually spend and decide whether it fits your CPD plan.

Does it apply to my profession?

Yes. It is built on the shared Code of conduct used by twelve National Boards and explains how the Medical, Nursing and Midwifery and Psychology Boards' codes compare, with examples from many professions.

Is this a philosophy course?

No. It uses ethical principles only as practical tools. The focus is on a step-by-step method you can use at work and on applying the codes your Board uses to assess conduct.

How is this different from a profession-specific ethics course?

This course provides a common framework for all registered practitioners. Profession-specific courses go deeper into one Board's standards, scope and typical dilemmas.

Does it cover artificial intelligence and telehealth?

Yes. It applies the framework to telehealth, AI scribes and generative AI, drawing on Ahpra and National Board guidance about accountability, transparency, consent and accuracy.

Which code of conduct applies to me?

If you are registered in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practice, Chinese medicine, chiropractic, dental, medical radiation practice, occupational therapy, optometry, osteopathy, paramedicine, pharmacy, physiotherapy or podiatry, the shared Code of conduct in effect from 29 June 2022 applies. Doctors follow Good medical practice, nurses and midwives follow the Nursing and Midwifery Board's codes, and psychologists follow the Psychology Board's Code of conduct, which took effect on 1 December 2025.

Will the framework help me write about an ethical issue for supervision or CPD?

Yes. The final step of the framework is recording and reflecting, and the course shows you how to document reasoning proportionately in clinical records and how to keep reflection separate, without patient identifiers, for supervision or your CPD portfolio.

Can I use this course for a condition on my registration?

Only your Board can decide that. If you have a condition or undertaking, confirm with Ahpra or your Board, and with your lawyer or medical defence organisation, before you enrol.

How long does it take and how is it assessed?

About 2 hours including reflection. You answer 15 scenario-based multiple-choice questions with a pass mark of 12 out of 15 and write a short reflective account.

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