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

Ethics and Ethical Standards for Nurses and Midwives

Applying the NMBA Codes and the International Codes of Ethics Adopted in Australia

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

About this course

Nurses and midwives meet ethical questions at the bedside every shift, often with little time and less authority than the decision demands. Here you link the international ethics codes that Australia has adopted to the NMBA codes of conduct, and practise a clear way to reason, act and write things down when values collide.

The course starts by untangling three things that are often blurred: ethics, conduct and standards for practice. It walks through the ICN and ICM codes, shows how the NMBA codes of conduct build on them, and turns core principles into plain questions you can ask at the bedside.

Later sections cover recognising an ethical issue early, a step-by-step decision process, personal values and conscientious objection, consent and capacity, supported and substitute decision-making, advocacy and informed choice, children and young people, fairness in workload and resources, cultural safety, restrictive practices, goals of care, voluntary assisted dying, reproductive ethics and perinatal loss. The final section deals with moral distress, moral courage and the ethics of a digital workplace.

Each section includes scenarios from Australian wards, birthing suites and community settings, with key points and prompts for reflection. The closing reflective account becomes part of the evidence in your CPD portfolio.

What you will learn

  • Trace how the international nursing and midwifery codes of ethics sit alongside the NMBA codes of conduct
  • Put a name to what is at stake in a situation using principles, care ethics and human rights
  • Follow a clear decision process and keep a short written record of how you reached your view
  • Support people to make their own choices, including ones you would not make, and speak up for their wishes
  • Raise a conscientious objection in a way that never leaves a person without lawful care
  • Identify ethical risk for people in vulnerable situations, including when restrictive practices are proposed
  • Reason through end-of-life decisions, voluntary assisted dying and perinatal loss
  • Notice moral distress early, find support and act when care is unsafe or unethical

Who this course is for

  • Registered nurses and enrolled nurses in any setting
  • Midwives in hospital, community, continuity and private practice
  • Nurse practitioners and clinical nurse consultants
  • Nurse and midwife educators, preceptors and unit managers
  • Nurses and midwives working through a difficult case who want structured reflection

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 21 lessons grouped into 6 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 15 scenario-based questions with a pass mark of 80% (12 of 15). 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 2 hours); log the time you actually spend.

Course content

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

1The Ethical Framework for Australian Nurses and Midwives4 lessons
  • Ethics, Conduct and Standards: How They Fit Together
  • The ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses
  • The ICM International Code of Ethics for Midwives
  • Core Ethical Principles in Practical Form
2Ethical Reasoning in Practice4 lessons
  • Recognising Ethical Issues
  • A Structured Decision-Making Process
  • Personal Values and Conscientious Objection
  • Talking It Through and Writing It Down
3Autonomy, Consent and Advocacy4 lessons
  • Respecting Choices, Including Choices You Disagree With
  • Capacity, Supported Decision-Making and Substitute Decisions
  • Advocacy and Informed Choice in Nursing and Midwifery
  • Children and Young People
4Justice, Equity and Cultural Safety3 lessons
  • Fairness in Workload, Time and Resources
  • Cultural Safety as an Ethical Commitment
  • People in Vulnerable Circumstances and Restrictive Practices
5Ethics at the End and Beginning of Life3 lessons
  • End-of-Life Care and Goals of Care
  • Voluntary Assisted Dying
  • Reproductive Ethics and Perinatal Loss
6Moral Courage, Moral Distress and Integrity3 lessons
  • Moral Distress and Looking After Yourself
  • Speaking Up and Moral Courage
  • Ethics in a Digital Workplace
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

Does the course cover both nurses and midwives?

Yes. Midwifery is covered in its own right, including the ICM code, informed choice in pregnancy and birth, and perinatal loss, rather than being treated as a footnote to nursing.

Is voluntary assisted dying covered for every state?

The course explains the common ethical questions and the duties that VAD laws place on nurses, including conscientious objection, and points out where the laws differ between jurisdictions. Always check your own state or territory law and your employer's policy.

How is this different from the NMBA professionalism course?

Here the focus is values and ethical reasoning. The professionalism course covers the codes of conduct, standards for practice, scope, delegation, CPD and documentation. Together they give a complete picture of NMBA expectations.

Is it suitable for enrolled nurses?

Yes. The decision-making and advocacy material applies to every nursing role, and the examples include situations where an enrolled nurse needs to escalate to a registered nurse.

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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