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Online course · Australia

Professionalism and Professional Standards for Physiotherapists

Conduct, Scope, Records, CPD and Accountability Under the Physiotherapy Board's Standards

  • About 2 hours
  • 15 scenario questions
  • Reflective account
  • Certificate of completion
  • Online, self-paced

About this course

When a physiotherapist's practice is examined, the Board looks at what a reasonable peer would have done, using its own documents as evidence. This course shows you how to measure your practice against those documents before anyone else does.

Your practice is judged against a peer standard, so the course begins there. It explains the conduct, performance and health pathways, how codes and guidelines are used as evidence, and how to use the practice thresholds as a practical self-audit.

Further sections cover protected titles and holding out, the Board's position on specialist, titled and 'Dr' credentials, registration types and renewal, individual scope and credentialing, the proposal for a prescribing endorsement, delegation to assistants and students, and safe appointment design. CPD and recency are explained alongside the 2026 review of those standards, insurance, criminal history and the seven-day notifications.

Records get a full section covering group, delegated and digital care, custody, access, retention and transfer, and auditing your own notes. The course ends with how concerns are assessed, possible outcomes and their lasting effects, and everyday accountability habits.

What you will learn

  • Explain how performance, conduct and health concerns are assessed and why Board documents carry weight
  • Run a self-audit of your practice using the Physiotherapy practice thresholds
  • Use protected titles, specialist titles and "Dr" accurately in every setting
  • Document your individual scope and stay within credentialed extended roles and current medicines limits
  • Delegate to assistants and students safely and design a caseload that allows good care
  • Meet CPD, recency, insurance and criminal history standards and give seven-day notices on time
  • Keep records of individual, group, delegated and telehealth care that would stand up to review

Who this course is for

  • Physiotherapists in private, public and community practice
  • Physiotherapists in extended scope and credentialed roles
  • Practice owners and senior physiotherapists who supervise and delegate
  • Physiotherapists returning to practice after a break
  • Overseas-qualified physiotherapists new to Australian registration

How the course works

  1. After checkout the course is added to My Courses in your account, so you can start straight away on any device with a modern browser.

  2. Move through 6 sections (21 lessons in total) in your own time; lessons open in sequence and the player remembers where you stopped on that device.

  3. Each section ends with key points and prompts for reflection. Your notes can be downloaded as a Word course pack or printed for your portfolio.

  4. Sit the 15-question assessment at the end. Score 80% or more (12 of 15) to pass; answer options are reshuffled if you retake.

  5. Complete the reflective account and feedback to finish. Your certificate of completion shows the estimated learning time (about 2 hours), and you record the time you actually spend in your CPD log.

Course content

7 sections · About 2 hours · 15-question final assessment

1Professionalism as a Standard You Are Measured Against3 lessons
  • Conduct, Performance and Health
  • How Codes and Guidelines Are Used as Evidence
  • Using the Practice Thresholds as a Self-Audit Tool
2Titles, Credentials and Your Registration3 lessons
  • Protected Titles and Holding Yourself Out
  • Specialist, Titled and 'Dr': Using Credentials Accurately
  • Registration Types, the Register and Renewal
3Scope of Practice, Delegation and Workload4 lessons
  • Individual Scope, Credentialing and Extended Roles
  • Medicines and the Proposed Prescribing Endorsement
  • Delegation, Assistants and Students
  • Caseload, Workload and Safe Appointment Design
4CPD, Recency and Registration Obligations4 lessons
  • Building a CPD Plan That Shows Learning
  • The 2026 Review of CPD and Recency Standards
  • Recency of Practice, Breaks and Returning
  • Insurance, Criminal History and Seven-Day Notifications
5Records as Professional Accountability4 lessons
  • What the Board Expects of Physiotherapy Records
  • Group, Delegated and Digital Care Records
  • Ownership, Access, Retention and Transfer
  • Auditing Your Own Notes
6Accountability When Your Practice Is Examined3 lessons
  • How Concerns Are Assessed and Decided
  • Outcomes, the Register and Lasting Consequences
  • Building Everyday Accountability
7Conclusion, Final Assessment and Reflection4 lessons
  • Conclusion and key points
  • References and quick-reference guide
  • Final assessment (15 questions, 80% pass mark)
  • Your reflective account

Assessment and certificate

  • Certificate of completion stating the estimated learning time (about 2 hours); record the time you actually spend.
  • A written reflective account you can keep with your CPD records.

Questions about this course

Can physiotherapists in Australia prescribe medicines?

Not at present. The Physiotherapy Board has proposed an endorsement for scheduled medicines, and the course explains the status of that proposal and the current limits that apply.

Am I allowed to call myself Dr as a physiotherapist?

The course explains the Board's statement on titles: you may use 'Dr' only where it is not misleading, which generally means making clear that you are a physiotherapist and not a medical practitioner.

Are the proposed changes to CPD and recency rules covered?

Yes. It explains what was consulted on during 2026 and what remains in force, so you know which version applies when you renew.

Is group and telehealth record-keeping covered?

Yes. A lesson deals specifically with records for group classes, delegated care and digital or telehealth sessions.

What evidence do I get when I finish?

You receive a certificate of completion stating the estimated learning time, and you can download a course pack holding your learning record, a revision sheet and your own reflections. Your CPD log should show the time you actually spend.

Does completing the course satisfy a condition or undertaking?

Not automatically. Where a Board has set education as a condition or undertaking, the course usually has to be nominated and accepted first, so check with Ahpra or the Board, and your legal adviser or defence organisation, before you enrol.

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