Imaging, radiation therapy and nuclear medicine
Medical radiation practitioners often meet patients for minutes, not months, yet in that time they confirm identity, explain a procedure, obtain consent, manage dose and notice when someone is deteriorating. These courses cover the ethical and professional side of that work, and help you spread your CPD sensibly across the 2024 to 2027 triennium.
What changed in 2026
2026 brought several changes for the profession. The third edition of the Professional capabilities for medical radiation practitioners took effect on 30 March 2026, and the Board's April 2026 newsletter singled out acute deterioration and anaphylaxis among the main changes. Mid-July 2026 saw a new criminal history registration standard start across all Boards, and in August the Board followed with an updated framework for supervised practice.
That newsletter also reported on NSW cases: the state's environment regulator took separate court action over a radiation user licence that had lapsed, and in another matter a radiographer who kept working after his registration ended was convicted, as was the business employing him. Registration, licensing and honest declarations are professional obligations, not just administration.
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CPD registration standard
Since December 2015 the standard has set a three-year total of 60 hours. Every registration year must contribute at least 10, and 35 of the 60 must be substantive. We are now in the triennium that finishes on 30 November 2027.
| Year | Minimum | Sensible target | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Dec 2024 to 30 Nov 2025 | 10 | 20 | Already closed. Make sure at least 10 hours are recorded. |
| 1 Dec 2025 to 30 Nov 2026 | 10 | 20 | The year in progress. A self-paced course can still be finished before renewal. |
| 1 Dec 2026 to 30 Nov 2027 | 10 | 20 | The final year. Leaving 40 hours until now makes the substantive target hard to reach. |
| Whole triennium | 60, including 35 substantive | 60 or more | Substantive learning has real intellectual or practical depth and connects to the area you work in. |
Source: Medical Radiation Practice Board CPD registration standard and guidance.
Where clinical care complaints come from
In 2024/25 the commonest kind of complaint about the profession was clinical care. In imaging and therapy that often means wrong-patient or wrong-site events, a missed pregnancy check, contrast reactions, or a patient who did not understand what was about to happen. Most of these come back to communication, checking and documentation.
Scenarios
Composite examples written for teaching.
In a busy emergency department, a radiographer calls a surname, a patient stands up and is imaged. It is the wrong person. The three-point identity check was skipped because the department was under pressure.
Partway through a course of treatment, a patient says she wants to stop. The therapist reassures her and continues the session without telling the radiation oncologist.
A technologist administers a radiopharmaceutical without asking whether the patient is breastfeeding, and no advice is recorded.
A practitioner posts an unusual image to a professional group chat for discussion. The identifiers are cropped, but the patient's tattoo is visible.
Written for medical radiation practitioners
Start with the two courses written for medical radiation practitioners. The third is a three-hour course on ethics and professionalism across imaging, therapy and nuclear medicine.
Ethical reasoning for MRPs: consent in short encounters, dose, justification and fairness.
Professional standards: identity checks, scope, supervision, records and registration obligations.
A longer course on ethics and professionalism across the three divisions.
Wrong-patient and wrong-site prevention and recognising deterioration.
Telling a patient about an error or unexpected exposure.
Consent, including withdrawing consent mid-treatment.
Recording checks, doses and advice.
Raising concerns with referrers and colleagues.
Images, identifiers and privacy.
Program
Communication is the second largest complaint category, so this four-course program is a natural fit for substantive CPD.
Includes 4 courses
A$876 is the total of the four course prices. No discount is applied.
Medical Radiation Practice Board, 2024/25
Planning
Make sure at least 10 hours are logged for the current registration year.
Note which activities meet the substantive definition and keep a running total towards 35.
A course a year beats a backlog in year three.
Keep each certificate with a note on how it applies to your practice.
Your code
The Medical Radiation Practice Board is one of twelve Boards using the shared Code of conduct, effective 29 June 2022. The code sets the conduct expected of you; the third edition of the professional capabilities sets out what you must be able to do. The Probity Courses editorial team writes these courses against both, and against the Board's current guidance.
The Medical Radiation Practice Board of Australia regulates the profession with the support of Ahpra.
Further reading
A triennium total of 60 hours. No year may fall below 10, and 35 must be substantive. This cycle closes on 30 November 2027.
They may, provided the content has genuine depth for the work you do and your record explains the link. That judgement is yours under the standard.
Yes. The scenarios cover all three divisions, and the principles on consent, identity, records and disclosure apply to each.
Edition three started on 30 March 2026, and the Board pointed to acute deterioration and anaphylaxis among the main changes. Read the full document on the Board's website.
They are separate. Your state or territory radiation regulator issues the licence, and Ahpra handles registration. Practising without either can lead to prosecution, so keep both current.
Yes. Use the multi-course page, or contact us to arrange a team order.
No course can promise that. Relevant learning, honest reflection and evidence of change can contribute to showing insight.
Add an ethics course this registration year and file the certificate with your CPD record.