On-road decisions
Refusals, capacity, consent and the records that show your reasoning.
Total for 3 courses A$807
- Ethics, scope and medicines documentation for paramedics
- Informed consent
- Documentation
Registered paramedics · Paramedicine Board of Australia
Ethics and Professionalism Courses for Paramedics in Australia
A paramedic's professional obligations do not end when the shift does. Notifications about paramedics come from employers and colleagues as well as patients, and offences outside work feature more than in most professions. These courses cover the decisions that matter on a job and off it, from a patient refusing transport to a photo in a crew chat.
- Grounded in the code and the Board's paramedic capabilities
- Certificate of completion stating the estimated learning time
- Works on a phone between jobs or after a night shift
Paramedicine Board, 2024/25
Paramedics and notifications
- had a notification nationally (364 notifications about 240 paramedics)
- 0.9%
- Paramedicine Board annual summary 2024/25
- of notifications lodged with Ahpra were made by employers
- 19.5%
- Paramedicine Board annual summary 2024/25
- mandatory notifications, 30 of them about professional standards
- 54
- Paramedicine Board annual summary 2024/25
Watch
A different pattern from most allied professions
Patients and their families remain the largest single source of notifications about paramedics, at 43.8% in 2024/25, but employers (19.5%) and other practitioners (17.3%) together account for more than a third. That reflects how closely paramedics work with each other and within a service structure.
At 28.1%, clinical care led the complaint types, followed by behaviour at 15.7%, communication at 14.1% and offences under other laws at 10.8%. In NSW, the Paramedicine Council reported that most of its 143 complaints in 2024/25 related to offences such as assault, domestic violence and drink driving, with clinical care second.
Mandatory notifications are also a feature of the profession. Of the 54 received, 14 related to impairment and 8 to sexual misconduct. More than half of finalised notifications (54.0%) closed with no further regulatory action, often because the paramedic had already addressed the issue, while 34.3% went elsewhere, either passed to another agency or kept by a state complaints body.
One shift and after
Five moments that can become notifications
Composite examples written for this page; none is a real case.
01:10 · Refusal
The patient who will not come in
An intoxicated man with a head wound refuses transport. The crew is tired and accepts the refusal after a short conversation. Nobody records how capacity was assessed or what risks were explained. Start with consent and documentation.
02:40 · Privacy
A photo in the crew chat
A paramedic photographs an unusual scene and shares it with a crew messaging group 'for learning'. A screenshot spreads. Start with privacy and social media.
04:15 · Medicines
An ampoule count that does not add up
At the end of a job, the Schedule 8 register is one ampoule short and the paperwork is incomplete. The paramedic signs it off anyway. Start with medicines documentation and the probity course.
06:30 · A colleague
Alcohol at handover
A paramedic notices alcohol on a colleague's breath at the start of the day shift and says nothing. Start with mandatory notifications and practitioner health.
Three days later · Off duty
Meeting the patient at the pub
An off-duty paramedic recognises a recent patient at a local pub, buys her a drink and later messages her on social media. Start with professional boundaries.
CPD registration standard
What the Paramedicine Board requires each year
- 30 hours a yearCompleted in each registration year and relevant to your practice.
- 8 hours interactiveLearning with other practitioners. Self-paced courses do not count here.
- Planning and reflection excludedTime spent planning or reflecting on activities is not counted in the 30 hours.
- Keep recordsLog each activity with evidence and a reflection, ready for audit.
- A review in progressFourteen Boards consulted on revised standards until 17 July 2026. The current rules apply until any change commences.
Source: Paramedicine Board CPD FAQ.
Choose by situation
Three course sets paramedics often need
Each set adds its courses to your cart together at the total of the individual course prices.
Colleagues and health
Mandatory notifications, impairment and teamwork.
Total for 2 courses A$498
- Mandatory notifications and practitioner health
- Teamwork and collaboration
Conduct on and off duty
Boundaries, social media and unprofessional conduct.
Total for 3 courses A$567
- Unprofessional conduct
- Professional boundaries
- Social media
Off-duty conduct counts
The code applies to conduct that affects public confidence in the profession, wherever it happens. Assault, domestic violence and drink driving charges are a significant source of complaints about paramedics in NSW, and criminal charges and convictions must be disclosed to Ahpra within the required timeframe.
Written for paramedics
The two core paramedic courses, then the profession course
Start with the two courses written for paramedics. The third covers ethics, scope and medicines documentation, the areas that matter most on the road.
Core · ethics
Ethics and Ethical Standards for Paramedics
Ethical reasoning for paramedics: capacity, refusal, autonomy and fairness under pressure.
Core · professionalism
Professionalism and Professional Standards for Paramedics
Professional standards for paramedics: teamwork, handover, health, conduct off duty and online.
Paramedics · scope
Ethics, Scope and Medicines Documentation for Paramedics
Ethics, scope of practice and medicines documentation, including Schedule 8 handling.
Mandatory Notifications and Practitioner Health and Impairment
Reporting a colleague, the treating-practitioner threshold and impairment.
Informed Consent and Financial Consent in Australian Practice
Consent and refusal in the field.
Professionalism in Documentation and Record-Keeping
Patient care records that show your reasoning.
Privacy, Health Records and My Health Record in Australian Practice
Privacy at scenes and in crew communication.
Professionalism and Boundaries on Social Media
Photos, posts and messaging.
Professional Boundaries for Clinicians
Boundaries with patients you meet again off duty.
Your code
The code and the paramedic capabilities
The Paramedicine Board adopted the shared Code of conduct in the 2022 round, alongside eleven other Boards. It sits beside the Board's Professional capabilities for registered paramedics, which describe the skills expected of you. The Probity Courses editorial team writes the paramedic courses against both and updates them when the Board revises either.
NSW and Queensland
Complaints in NSW and Queensland
NSW paramedics deal with the Paramedicine Council of NSW and the Health Care Complaints Commission. In Queensland, the Office of the Health Ombudsman receives complaints and decides, in consultation with Ahpra, whether the Board deals with them. Many paramedics are also subject to their ambulance service's own conduct processes, which run separately.
A letter has arrived. Where do I start?
The free course Ahpra Notifications in 15 Minutes explains the stages, typical requests and sensible first steps. Talk to your union or indemnity provider before replying.
Start the free courseThe Paramedicine Board of Australia regulates paramedics with the support of Ahpra.
Further reading
Course outlines for paramedics
- Ethics and Ethical Standards for ParamedicsCore course outline
- Professionalism and Professional Standards for ParamedicsCore course outline
- Ethics, Scope and Medicines Documentation for ParamedicsThree-hour profession course
- Mandatory notifications and practitioner healthReporting a colleague
- Professional boundaries and conduct programFive courses together
- Notification response programSeven courses in order
Questions from paramedics
How many CPD hours do paramedics need?
Thirty per registration year, including eight in an interactive setting with other practitioners. Planning and reflection time is not counted.
Do your courses count as interactive hours?
No. They are self-paced. They can count towards your other 22 hours if relevant to your practice.
Does the code apply when I am off duty?
Yes, whenever what you do might damage the community's confidence in paramedics. Offences outside work are a significant source of complaints about paramedics.
Must I notify Ahpra about a colleague I think is impaired?
Possibly. Mandatory notification depends on the type of conduct and the risk to the public. The mandatory notifications course explains the thresholds and the higher bar that applies when you are treating the colleague.
My service is already investigating. Is that the same as an Ahpra notification?
No. Employer processes run separately from the regulator, though an employer may also notify Ahpra. Keep records of both and get advice from your union or insurer.
Will your certificate be accepted for CPD?
The Board does not pre-assess providers; you judge whether an activity meets the standard. Your certificate of completion states the estimated learning time; record the time you actually spend.
Can I study on my phone between jobs?
Yes. Courses work on phones and save your place.
Will a course change the outcome of a notification?
No course can promise that. Relevant learning, honest reflection and evidence of change can contribute to showing insight.
Fit your CPD around the roster
Start with the core courses and pick up where you left off after each shift.
Sources