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Online course · Australia

Professionalism and Professional Standards for Chiropractors

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

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

About this course

Chiropractic Board documents changed in late 2025 and 2026, with record-keeping guidance retired and a revised paediatric statement in force. This course brings chiropractors up to date with the standards that now apply and how to evidence them.

The course begins with how the National Law measures professional standards and a document map for chiropractors, covering registration standards, renewal declarations and professional obligations beyond the clinic. Scope follows, including what defines chiropractic scope, adding a technique or service, describing your practice accurately and working with other professions or at a distance.

A section on clinical records explains what is expected now that the Board's record-keeping guidelines have been retired, how to write a record that stands up, retention, access and privacy, and how to audit your own notes. CPD, recency, first aid and professional indemnity insurance are covered in practical detail, including exemptions and shortfalls.

The final sections deal with accountability in practice ownership, supervising students and graduates, continuity of care when practitioners move on, respectful workplaces, handling complaints in the clinic, open disclosure after an adverse event, responding to a notification and moving forward after an outcome.

What you will learn

  • Explain the difference between unsatisfactory performance, unprofessional conduct and misconduct, and the peer test behind them
  • List the Chiropractic Board documents in force and the dates they took effect
  • Prepare properly before adding a technique or service to your practice
  • Describe your title, qualifications and services in a way that cannot mislead
  • Keep notes that would satisfy the Code, privacy law and a peer reading them cold, and audit them yourself
  • Meet the CPD, recency, first aid and insurance standards and respond well to an audit
  • Manage ownership, supervision, continuity of care and workplace conduct to a professional standard
  • Handle complaints, open disclosure and notifications accountably

Who this course is for

  • Chiropractors in private and multidisciplinary clinics
  • Practice owners and principals
  • Chiropractors supervising students, graduates or supervised registrants
  • Chiropractors adding a new technique or service
  • Chiropractors returning after a break

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 24 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

1Professional Standards and the Regulatory Benchmark4 lessons
  • How the National Law Measures Professional Standards
  • The Chiropractor's Document Map
  • Registration Standards and Renewal Declarations
  • Professional Obligations Beyond the Clinic
2Scope of Practice and Competence4 lessons
  • What Defines Chiropractic Scope
  • Adding a New Technique or Service
  • Titles, Qualifications and How You Describe Your Practice
  • Working With Other Professions and at a Distance
3Clinical Records and Information Management4 lessons
  • What Is Expected of Chiropractic Records Now
  • Writing a Record That Stands Up
  • Retention, Access, Privacy and Practice Changes
  • Auditing Your Own Records
4CPD, Recency, First Aid and Insurance4 lessons
  • Building a CPD Plan That Meets the Standard
  • Records, Audit, Exemptions and Shortfalls
  • Recency of Practice and Returning After a Break
  • First Aid and Professional Indemnity Insurance
5The Professional Workplace: Owners, Supervisors and Teams4 lessons
  • Accountability in Practice Ownership
  • Supervising Students, Graduates and Supervised Practice
  • Continuity of Care When Practitioners Move On
  • A Respectful and Safe Workplace
6Accountability When Things Go Wrong4 lessons
  • Handling Complaints Within the Practice
  • Open Disclosure After an Adverse Event
  • Responding Professionally to a Notification
  • Outcomes, Further Education and Moving Forward
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

Has the Chiropractic Board retired its record-keeping guidelines?

Yes. They were retired on 30 November 2025. The course explains where record-keeping expectations now come from, including the Code of conduct, Ahpra resources and privacy law.

Is first aid still a registration requirement for chiropractors?

The course explains the Board's current first aid expectations alongside the CPD standard and how to keep evidence of training.

Does it help practice owners?

Yes. A section covers ownership accountability, supervision, continuity of care when associates leave and a respectful workplace.

Is it the same as the chiropractor ethics course?

No. This course deals with standards, records, CPD and accountability; the ethics course covers values and reasoning in hard cases.

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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