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Independent ethics and professionalism CPD for Australian health practitioners

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Nurses and midwives

Ethics and professional standards education for nurses and midwives

Courses built around the NMBA's own codes, standards and frameworks, with scenarios from wards, aged care, birthing suites and community practice.

  • 11 recommended courses
  • Courses from A$189
  • Certificate on completion
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A clinician in a white coat holding a stack of books and a stethoscope

How the NMBA's standards fit together

Registered nurses, enrolled nurses, nurse practitioners and midwives are regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) under the National Law. The NMBA registers nurses and midwives, sets their codes, standards and guidelines, and decides the outcome of most notifications. Ahpra runs registration and renewal, receives notifications, investigates on the Board's behalf and keeps the public register.

Nursing and midwifery have their own codes of conduct rather than the shared Code of conduct that many other National Boards use. The NMBA's professional standards work as one set, and it helps to know what each part does:

  • Codes of conduct. The Code of conduct for nurses and the Code of conduct for midwives took effect on 1 March 2018 and describe the behaviour expected of you, in and outside work.
  • Codes of ethics. The NMBA has adopted the International Council of Nurses (ICN) Code of Ethics for Nurses, with the revised 2021 version applying since late 2021, and the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) International Code of Ethics for Midwives. The ICM approved an updated version in June 2026, so midwives should check the NMBA's professional standards page for the version that currently applies.
  • Standards for practice. Separate standards describe practice for registered nurses (2016), enrolled nurses (2016), midwives (2018) and nurse practitioners (2021). The RN and EN standards were the subject of public consultation in 2026; the current standards apply until replaced.
  • The Decision-making framework for nursing and midwifery, in effect from 3 February 2020, helps you decide whether an activity is within the profession's scope, your own scope and the context, and whether to delegate it.
  • Registration standards cover CPD, recency of practice, professional indemnity insurance arrangements, criminal history and English language skills, plus endorsements such as the designated registered nurse prescriber endorsement that began in 2025.

Codes of ethics state values; codes of conduct and standards state expected behaviour. When a notification is made, the question is usually framed against the codes of conduct and the relevant standards for practice, so knowing them well is practical protection, not paperwork.

The two nursing and midwifery courses are written specifically for the NMBA's codes and standards. Add the topic courses that match your setting: medicines and prescribing, documentation, boundaries, aged care, mental health or a current notification.

CPD and recency requirements for nurses and midwives

RequirementWhat the NMBA expectsPractical point
CPDAt least 20 hours each registration year, planned, recorded and reflected on.Some endorsements require additional CPD. If you hold both nursing and midwifery registration, check the requirement for each.
CPD evidenceA portfolio showing your learning needs, a plan, the activities you completed and your reflection on them.Keep certificates and reflections together so you can respond quickly if you are selected for audit.
Recency of practiceAt least 450 hours of practice in the previous five years, separately for each profession and endorsement.Dual registrants must meet recency in nursing and in midwifery. Declaring you meet midwifery recency because you still have the skills is not enough.
Annual declarationsFormal statements about CPD, recency, professional indemnity insurance and criminal history.If you do not meet a requirement, say so and seek advice. A false or careless declaration is more serious than the shortfall.
Standards under reviewThe recency and CPD standards were under review in 2026.Current standards apply until replaced. Check the NMBA site before each renewal.

Using our courses in your CPD portfolio

The NMBA's CPD standard is about relevance and reflection, not just hours. A course counts best when it answers a learning need you have identified. Our nursing and midwifery courses close each section with key points and reflection prompts, and the professionalism course includes a self-audit that maps directly onto the codes of conduct and the decision-making framework, which makes it easier to write the planning and reflection parts of your portfolio.

Record the time you actually spend, which may differ from the estimate on the course card, and keep the certificate with your reflection. The CPD Portfolio lets you plan, log hours and store certificates in one place, and the reflective statement template gives you a simple structure for writing reflection that shows what you will do differently.

Practitioner Ethics is an independent education provider and is not affiliated with Ahpra or the NMBA. Our courses are not accredited by Ahpra, the NMBA or any professional body. You judge whether a course meets a learning need in your plan.

Where professional concerns about nurses and midwives tend to arise

These themes recur across the NMBA's standards and the case material in our courses. Most arise in busy, short-staffed settings where an informal shortcut feels reasonable at the time.

  • Medicines and drug registers

    Co-signing a Schedule 8 register for a dose you did not witness, a missing ampoule at the end of a shift, or unclear charting. If you suspect diversion by a colleague, report it through the proper channels and consider your mandatory notification obligations.

  • Delegation and scope

    Delegating medicines to an unregulated worker in residential aged care, or accepting a role beyond your education and the context. The decision-making framework tests the profession's scope, your individual scope and the setting.

  • Recognising and escalating deterioration

    Observations that were never done, or an escalation that waits for the next round. Documentation and timely escalation are both clinical and professional duties.

  • Records and documentation

    Retrospective entries, copied observations and notes written to fit the expected picture. Honest, contemporaneous records are central to almost every notification.

  • Boundaries with patients and families

    Gifts, loans, friendships and social media contact with people in your care. The codes of conduct expect you to keep the relationship professional, including in small communities.

  • Honest declarations

    Renewal declarations about recency, CPD and criminal history are formal statements. Misjudging them, especially for dual registration, can lead to regulatory action on its own.

  • Cultural safety

    In March 2025 the NMBA adopted the National Scheme definition of cultural safety. Culturally safe practice is determined by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and requires reflection on your own assumptions and power.

  • Workplace conduct

    Respectful teamwork, speaking up and responding to bullying all affect patient safety. The ICN Code also recognises nurses' right to practise in environments that enable safe, ethical care.

Scenarios from our nursing and midwifery courses

Short Australian cases let you test your reasoning against the codes and frameworks before you meet the situation on shift.

  • The drug register signature

    An enrolled nurse is asked to co-sign the Schedule 8 register for a dose drawn up while she was with another patient. What should she do, and say?

  • Alone overnight in aged care

    An agency EN finds the RN is available only by phone from another facility. Testing the arrangement against the EN standards and deciding what to clarify and escalate.

  • Two registrations, one recency problem

    A registered nurse with midwifery registration has not practised midwifery for six years. What should she declare at renewal?

  • Delegating medicines in a residential home

    An RN asks a personal care worker to give a resident her regular medicines from a dose administration aid while the RN attends a fall.

  • Declining induction after a traumatic birth

    Respecting a woman's informed choice while making sure she has the information and support she needs.

  • The resident who wants to walk without her frame

    Balancing dignity of risk, autonomy and duty of care for an older person with capacity.

  • A quiet young woman far from home

    Culturally safe care for an Aboriginal woman transferred from a remote community to birth in a regional hospital.

  • The loan offer

    A community nurse is offered money by an older client. Applying the boundaries expectations in the code, and recognising possible financial abuse.

Nurses and midwives in particular roles

Enrolled nurses

Enrolled nurses are registered in Division 2 and practise under the EN standards for practice, with a registered nurse responsible for direction and supervision, while remaining accountable for their own actions. Our professionalism course for nurses and midwives works through the situations ENs describe most often: being asked to sign for something you did not see, being the most senior nurse on site, and accepting delegation safely.

Registered nurses and team leaders

RNs delegate to ENs and unregulated health workers and stay accountable for the decision to delegate. The decision-making framework and the RN standards are the basis for those choices, and they are the documents a Board will refer to.

Midwives

Midwifery has its own code of conduct, standards for practice and code of ethics. Our ethics course for nurses and midwives uses midwifery cases on informed choice, declining recommended care and culturally safe birthing.

Nurse practitioners and prescribers

Nurse practitioners and designated RN prescribers carry prescribing responsibilities that bring in the medicines courses. Safe prescribing of Schedule 8 and high-risk medicines and telehealth prescribing are the most relevant additions.

Nurses in aged care and agency roles

Residential aged care and agency work often mean thin supervision, unfamiliar systems and high delegation. Planning how you will apply the decision-making framework before you need it is one of the best protective habits you can build.

Programs for nurses and midwives

Programs combine related courses in a logical order and suit nurses and midwives who want structured learning on a theme, or who are responding to a concern.

Complaints in New South Wales and Queensland, and where to get support

In New South Wales, complaints about nurses and midwives are managed jointly by the Health Care Complaints Commission and the Nursing and Midwifery Council of New South Wales. In Queensland, all complaints go first to the Office of the Health Ombudsman, which decides whether to keep a matter or refer it to Ahpra and the NMBA. Elsewhere, Ahpra and the NMBA manage notifications directly.

If a complaint or notification follows, contact your indemnity insurer or professional association early and respond factually. Nurse & Midwife Support is a national, free and confidential support service for nurses, midwives and students, and Lifeline offers 24-hour crisis support. Our notification help page explains the first steps calmly.

Not sure where to start?

Answer three short questions about your role, your situation and what is worrying you, and the course finder will suggest a short list of relevant courses.

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Questions nurses and midwives ask

How many CPD hours do nurses and midwives need each year?

The NMBA's CPD standard requires at least 20 hours each registration year, documented in a portfolio that shows planning, the activities completed and reflection. Some endorsements require more. Always check the current standard on the NMBA site.

Can I count an online ethics course toward my 20 hours?

You can count any activity that is relevant to your practice and meets a learning need you have identified, recorded with the time you actually spent and your reflection. Our courses are independent education and are not accredited by the NMBA or Ahpra, so you make that judgement for your own plan.

What is the recency of practice requirement?

At least 450 hours of practice in the previous five years, met separately for each profession and endorsement you hold. If you do not meet it, you must declare that honestly at renewal and seek advice about returning to practice.

Which code of ethics applies to nurses in Australia?

The NMBA has adopted the ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses. The revised 2021 version has applied in Australia since late 2021. Midwives follow the ICM International Code of Ethics for Midwives; check the NMBA site for the current version after the ICM's 2026 update.

Is the decision-making framework still current?

Yes. The Decision-making framework for nursing and midwifery has applied since 3 February 2020. It helps you decide whether an activity is within your scope and whether to delegate it, and our professionalism course applies it to aged care, agency and ward scenarios.

Do these courses suit enrolled nurses?

Yes. The professionalism course includes EN-specific scenarios on accepting delegation, signing registers and working without an RN on site, and every shared topic course applies to ENs.

I have received a notification. Which course should I take first?

Speak to your indemnity insurer or professional association first. Our course on responding to an Ahpra notification explains the process, and the Notification Response program adds insight, reflection and remediation. No course can guarantee any outcome, and your adviser can tell you how to present any learning you complete.

Do you offer training for whole nursing teams?

Yes. Team licences let a facility or agency give staff access to the same courses, and live training can be arranged for groups. See our organisations pages for details.

Primary sources

Links go to official regulator and government websites. Check them for the current version before relying on any requirement.

Related courses

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