Ethics and professionalism CPD for health practitioners in Australia [email protected]
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Online course · Australia

Ethics and Professionalism for Physiotherapists in Australia

Applying the Physiotherapy Board's Code of Conduct to Everyday Practice

  • About 3 hours
  • 20 scenario questions
  • Reflective account
  • Certificate of completion
  • Online, self-paced

About this course

Physiotherapy is hands-on, often funded by third parties and frequently delivered in long courses of care, and each of those features creates professional risk. This three-hour course applies the Physiotherapy Board's Code of conduct to the decisions physiotherapists make every week.

The course begins with how physiotherapy is regulated in Australia, how the shared Code applies to physiotherapists, the practice thresholds and the registration standards you declare against. It then covers good care, competence and scope, including evidence, treatment plans and overservicing, medicines and referral, and ending a therapeutic relationship.

Communication and consent lessons cover real choice, consent for interventions, children and adults needing decision support, open disclosure and complaints. A section on professional boundaries in a hands-on profession covers undressing, draping, sensitive areas, chaperones, dual relationships, gifts, social media and sexual misconduct.

Later sections address cultural safety and respectful workplaces, records, privacy and telehealth, reports for insurers, Medicare and the NDIS, advertising, financial dealings, sports and team physiotherapy, mandatory and voluntary notifications, responding to a notification, supervision and practitioner health.

What you will learn

  • Describe how the National Law, Ahpra, the Board and the NSW and Queensland co-regulators oversee physiotherapy
  • Use the Code and the 2024 practice thresholds to judge competence, scope and evidence-informed care
  • Avoid overservicing and explain plans, costs and alternatives honestly
  • Obtain consent that holds up, including for children and adults who need support to decide
  • Manage undressing, draping, sensitive examinations and dual relationships safely
  • Offer culturally safe care and help keep the workplace free of bullying and harassment
  • Produce notes and third-party reports that are accurate whether a funder, insurer or court is reading them
  • Advertise lawfully, manage commercial conflicts and know your notification duties

Who this course is for

  • Physiotherapists in private, public and community practice
  • Sports and musculoskeletal physiotherapists
  • Physiotherapists writing reports for insurers, Medicare or the NDIS
  • Practice owners responsible for advertising and billing
  • Supervisors of students and new graduates

How the course works

  1. Once you enrol, open the course from My Courses whenever it suits you. It runs in your browser on desktop or mobile, with nothing to install.

  2. Read 30 lessons grouped into 8 sections. Each lesson unlocks when you finish the one before, and your progress is kept in your browser between visits.

  3. Pause on the worked scenarios and reflection prompts. Anything you type is kept in your course pack, which you can download in Word format or print to PDF.

  4. Complete the final assessment of 20 scenario-based questions with a pass mark of 80% (16 of 20). Retakes are allowed.

  5. After the reflective account and feedback, the course is marked complete in your account and your certificate of completion becomes available. It states the estimated learning time (about 3 hours); log the time you actually spend.

Course content

9 sections · About 3 hours · 20-question final assessment

1How Physiotherapy Is Regulated in Australia4 lessons
  • The National Law, Ahpra and the Physiotherapy Board
  • The Code of Conduct and How It Applies to Physiotherapists
  • The Physiotherapy Practice Thresholds
  • Registration Standards You Declare Against
2Good Care, Competence and Scope of Practice4 lessons
  • Working Within Your Competence
  • Evidence, Treatment Plans and Overservicing
  • Medicines, Referral and the Limits of Physiotherapy Practice
  • Access, Emergencies and Ending a Therapeutic Relationship
3Communication, Consent and Open Disclosure4 lessons
  • Communication That Supports Real Choice
  • Informed Consent for Physiotherapy Interventions
  • Children, Young People and Adults Who Need Decision Support
  • Open Disclosure and Complaints
4Professional Boundaries in a Hands-On Profession4 lessons
  • Why Boundaries Matter in Physiotherapy
  • Undressing, Draping, Sensitive Areas and Chaperones
  • Dual Relationships, Gifts and Social Media
  • Sexual Misconduct and Its Consequences
5Cultural Safety and Respectful Practice3 lessons
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Cultural Safety
  • Respectful Practice for All Communities
  • Bullying, Harassment and a Safe Workplace
6Records, Privacy, Telehealth and Third-Party Work4 lessons
  • Clinical Records That Stand Up
  • Privacy and Confidentiality
  • Telehealth and Digital Competence
  • Reports and Funded Care: Insurers, Medicare and the NDIS
7Advertising, Business and Sports Practice3 lessons
  • Advertising a Physiotherapy Service
  • Financial and Commercial Dealings
  • Sports and Team Physiotherapy
8Notifications, Supervision and Practitioner Health4 lessons
  • Mandatory and Voluntary Notifications
  • When a Notification Is Made About You
  • Supervision, Students and New Graduates
  • Practitioner Health and Wellbeing
9Conclusion, Final Assessment and Reflection4 lessons
  • Conclusion and key points
  • References and quick-reference guide
  • Final assessment (20 questions, 80% pass mark)
  • Your reflective account

Assessment and certificate

  • Certificate of completion stating the estimated learning time (about 3 hours); record the time you actually spend.
  • A written reflective account you can keep with your CPD records.

Questions about this course

What are the physiotherapy practice thresholds?

They describe the minimum competence expected of a physiotherapist entering practice in Australia. The 2024 version is used in the course as a reference point for competence and scope.

Does the course cover NDIS and insurer reports?

Yes. A lesson covers writing honest, useful reports for insurers, Medicare, the NDIS and other funders.

Is draping and sensitive examination covered?

Yes. The boundaries section covers undressing, draping, sensitive areas and when to offer a chaperone.

How does this compare with the two-hour physiotherapy courses?

This three-hour course combines ethics and professionalism in one. The two-hour courses go deeper into ethical reasoning and into standards, records and CPD respectively.

How should I record this course in my CPD log?

Log the date, the course name and the time you actually spend; the certificate shows only the estimated learning time. Add two or three lines on what you will do differently, and file the certificate next to your reflective account.

Who runs this course?

Probity Courses, an education provider with no affiliation to Ahpra, the National Boards or any regulator. Your Board's own codes and guidelines always take precedence over course material.

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