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Core course for every profession

Professionalism for Health Practitioners

Conduct, Accountability and Public Trust Under the Shared Code

  • 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

Every registered health practitioner is expected to behave professionally, but the expectation is rarely spelled out until something goes wrong. Regulators measure conduct against what the public and reasonable peers would expect, using the codes of conduct as evidence, and many of the most serious outcomes arise not from clinical errors but from dishonesty, disrespect, unreliability or conduct outside work. Practitioners who understand the standard in practical terms are far less likely to fall below it.

This course explains professionalism the way Australian regulators apply it. It covers the codes that apply to each profession, the National Law's three tests of unsatisfactory professional performance, unprofessional conduct and professional misconduct, and how Boards, panels and tribunals reach outcomes. It then works through accountability for decisions, registration declarations and seven-day notifications, honesty with patients and regulators, conduct with colleagues, bullying and harassment, raising concerns, public statements, honesty about titles and qualifications, and how to sustain professionalism through a long career.

It is designed for all registered professions and reflects the codes in force in October 2026, including the Psychology Board's 2025 code and Ahpra's September 2026 interim guidance on conflicts of interest. Every section closes with key points and apply-it activities, and the final section helps you write a personal professionalism plan you can keep in your CPD portfolio and revisit each year.

Written and reviewed by

Written by

Dr Hannah Whitmore PhD, MSc, RN

Nursing Education & Professional Practice

Reviewed by (legal reviewer)

Professor James Ellington LLB, LLM, PhD

Healthcare Law, Ethics & Professional Regulation

Reviewed by (editorial team)

Editorial Team Member

Healthcare ethics, professional conduct, patient safety and evidence-based education.

Last reviewed

Our authors and reviewers check course content for accuracy and currency. Completing a course does not guarantee any particular outcome with Ahpra, a National Board, a tribunal or an employer.

Who this course is for

  • Registered health practitioners in any of the National Scheme professions
  • Practitioners new to Australian practice, including overseas-qualified practitioners
  • Early-career practitioners building professional habits
  • Supervisors, educators and team leaders who model and assess professional behaviour
  • Practice owners and managers responsible for workplace culture
  • Practitioners who want a structured refresher on conduct and accountability
  • Practitioners preparing their CPD plan around professional conduct goals
  • Practitioners practising with conditions or undertakings who want to understand what compliance and accountability look like in day-to-day practice

What you’ll learn

  • Know the standard

    Explain the codes that apply to your profession and the three National Law tests used to judge conduct and performance.

  • Act accountably

    Own decisions, meet registration obligations, notify on time and be honest with patients and regulators.

  • Work professionally with others

    Disagree respectfully, prevent bullying and harassment, raise concerns appropriately and supervise well.

  • Sustain your professionalism

    Recognise early signs of drift and use feedback, reflection, wellbeing support and a personal plan.

Learning objectives

  • Describe professionalism as observable behaviour and explain its link to public trust and the National Law.
  • Identify the code of conduct that applies to your profession and its core expectations.
  • Distinguish unsatisfactory professional performance, unprofessional conduct and professional misconduct.
  • Explain how regulators apply the expected standard and when conduct outside work is relevant.
  • Meet registration obligations and notify Ahpra of relevant events on time.
  • Communicate, disagree and raise concerns with colleagues professionally.
  • Make public statements and describe qualifications accurately.
  • Build a personal plan to sustain professionalism over time.

Scenarios covered

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

  • The colleague who smells of alcohol

    A physiotherapist notices a colleague arriving unsteady and smelling of alcohol. You decide what to do today and whether a mandatory notification applies.

  • The charge after a social event

    A pharmacist is charged with an offence after a night out and wants to keep quiet. You work out the seven-day notification obligation and how to manage it.

  • The 'implant specialist' website

    A general dentist is described online as a specialist. You test the description against protected titles and fix it.

  • The forgotten report

    An occupational therapist misses a promised report deadline and a family's NDIS review is delayed. You practise an accountable response.

  • Disagreeing about a dose

    A nurse believes a medication order is unsafe. You use respectful, evidence-based language to raise it without undermining the team.

  • The quick reassurance

    A hygienist is asked to tell a patient a crown is fine without the dentist's review. You separate scope from professional honesty.

Course contents

6 sections, 25 lessons, then the final assessment.

  1. Section 1: What Professionalism Means for a Registered Health Practitioner3 lessons
    • 1.1 Professionalism and Public Trust
    • 1.2 The Codes That Define Expected Conduct
    • 1.3 Professionalism, Ethics and Competence
  2. Section 2: The Standard You Are Measured Against4 lessons
    • 2.1 Unsatisfactory Performance, Unprofessional Conduct and Misconduct
    • 2.2 How the Standard Is Applied
    • 2.3 Lessons From Published Decisions
    • 2.4 Conduct Outside Work
  3. Section 3: Accountability in Everyday Practice5 lessons
    • 3.1 Owning Your Decisions
    • 3.2 Registration Obligations as Professional Commitments
    • 3.3 Honesty With Patients When Things Go Wrong
    • 3.4 Complying With Conditions and Undertakings
    • 3.5 Dealing Openly With Regulators and Employers
  4. Section 4: Professional Conduct With Colleagues and Teams4 lessons
    • 4.1 Respect, Disagreement and Team Communication
    • 4.2 Bullying, Harassment and Discrimination
    • 4.3 Raising Concerns About a Colleague
    • 4.4 Supervising and Teaching
  5. Section 5: Professionalism Beyond the Consultation4 lessons
    • 5.1 Working Within the Health System
    • 5.2 Public Statements and Professional Voice
    • 5.3 Honesty About Qualifications and Identity
    • 5.4 Presentation, Reliability and Everyday Courtesy
  6. Section 6: Sustaining Professionalism Over a Career5 lessons
    • 6.1 Why Good Practitioners Drift
    • 6.2 Reflection, Feedback and Peer Contact
    • 6.3 Wellbeing and Professional Behaviour
    • 6.4 Leading a Professional Culture
    • 6.5 A Personal Professionalism Plan
  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 estimated learning time
  • A written reflective account and a personal professionalism plan for the next 12 months
  • A quick-reference card of professional tests and seven-day notification events
  • Apply-it activities you can add to your CPD portfolio

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

Does Ahpra accredit or approve this course?

No. It is an independent educational course. It is not accredited, not approved and not endorsed by Ahpra, any National Board or any professional body. You decide whether it fits your CPD plan and record the time you actually spend.

What is the difference between unprofessional conduct and professional misconduct?

Unprofessional conduct is conduct below what the public or your peers would reasonably expect. Professional misconduct is substantially below that standard, a pattern of unprofessional conduct that together amounts to it, or conduct showing you are not a fit and proper person to be registered.

Which code of conduct applies to me?

Twelve National Boards share one Code of conduct. Doctors follow Good medical practice, nurses and midwives follow the NMBA codes, and psychologists have followed the Psychology Board's own code since 1 December 2025.

Can Ahpra act on something I did outside work?

Yes, when it bears on honesty, patient safety or public confidence in the profession, such as serious criminal conduct, family violence or dishonesty with agencies. Lawful personal choices are not the Board's concern.

What events must I report to Ahpra between renewals?

Within seven days: being charged with an offence punishable by 12 months' imprisonment or more, a conviction for an offence punishable by imprisonment, your indemnity insurance ending, restrictions on hospital rights or Medicare billing, restrictions by a medicines regulator, and restrictions on overseas registration.

Is this course the same as a professional ethics course?

No. Ethics is about values and reasoning through dilemmas. This course focuses on conduct, standards and accountability: how you behave and how you answer for it. A separate course covers ethical reasoning under the shared Code.

Will this course satisfy a condition or undertaking?

Not by itself. Ahpra usually needs to accept a course nominated for an education condition before you start it. Confirm with Ahpra or your Board, and your lawyer or insurer, before relying on any course.

How long does it take?

About 2 hours, including the reading, apply-it activities, a reflective account and 15 scenario-based questions with a pass mark of 12. Record the time you actually spend.

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