Ethics for New Zealand Health Practitioners

What you will learn

• Explain how legislation, the Code of Rights, responsible authority standards and employer policy combine to shape ethical obligations in New Zealand.
• Map the principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice onto specific rights in the Code of Rights.
• Apply a structured seven-step framework, using several ethical lenses including Māori values, to a real ethical problem and document the decision.
• Identify the key ethical content of your responsible authority's code and compare it with the codes of colleagues in other professions.
• Apply clause 3, clause 4 and Rights 5 to 10 of the Code of Rights to communication, consent, support, teaching, research and complaints.
• Describe the Te Tiriti principles identified in the Hauora report and demonstrate culturally safe, equitable decision-making with patients and whānau.
• Make and explain fair resource allocation decisions and meet the statutory duties that apply to conscientious objection.
• Describe the eligibility criteria and safeguards of the End of Life Choice Act 2019, including the rule against initiating discussion.
• Explain the HDC, competence, health and conduct pathways, the HPDT's two-stage misconduct test and the principles applied to penalties.
• Demonstrate insight and plan targeted remediation and reflection after an ethical concern.

Course facts

CPD value

Approximately 3 CPD hours (estimated learning time including knowledge checks, reflection and assessment)

Audience

Health practitioners registered with any of New Zealand's 18 responsible authorities under the HPCA Act 2003, including doctors, nurses, midwives, oral health practitioners, pharmacists, psychologists, physiotherapists and paramedics

Standards covered

Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights; HPCA Act 2003 (ss 100, 101, 118, 174); Good medical practice and Medical Council statements; Nursing Council Code of Conduct and 2025 standards of competence; Midwifery Council Code of Conduct; Dental Council Standards Framework; Pharmacy Council Code of Ethics 2018; Psychologists Board Code of Conduct; End of Life Choice Act 2019; Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion Act 1977 (as amended 2020)

Format

Self-paced, gated lessons with knowledge checks, case studies and reflection

Assessment

20 scenario-based questions, 80% to pass (16 of 20)

Outcome

Certificate of completion and a written reflection for your CPD record

Alignment

Mapped to the ethical conduct and cultural safety standards of the Medical Council, Nursing Council, Midwifery Council, Dental Council, Pharmacy Council and allied health responsible authorities, and to the Code of Rights; not approved by any of them

Syllabus

11 sections, 3 CPD hours, 20-question final assessment

1. 1Ethics in Aotearoa New Zealand: foundations and framework3 lessons

   • What ethics means for a New Zealand health practitioner
   • Law, Code of Rights, professional codes and policy: the four layers
   • How an ethical lapse becomes a regulatory concern
2. 2Ethical principles, theories and decision-making3 lessons

   • The four principles, read through the Code of Rights
   • Ethical theories and Māori values: different lenses on the same problem
   • A practical ethical decision-making framework
3. 3The codes of New Zealand's responsible authorities3 lessons

   • Responsible authorities and the Medical Council's standards
   • Nursing Council and Midwifery Council codes
   • Dental, Pharmacy and allied health codes compared
4. 4The Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights3 lessons

   • The Code of Rights as the ethical floor
   • Communication, information and consent: Rights 5, 6 and 7
   • Teaching, research, support and complaints: Rights 8, 9 and 10
5. 5Te Tiriti o Waitangi, cultural safety and equity3 lessons

   • Te Tiriti o Waitangi and health equity as ethical obligations
   • Cultural safety: what it is and what it asks of you
   • Whānau, tikanga and culturally grounded decision-making
6. 6Justice, resource allocation and conscientious objection3 lessons

   • Resource allocation and justice at the bedside
   • Conscientious objection in New Zealand law
   • Conflicts of interest, dual loyalties and new technology
7. 7End-of-life ethics and law in New Zealand2 lessons

   • Ethics at the end of life: decisions about treatment
   • The End of Life Choice Act 2019 in practice
8. 8When ethics becomes a regulatory concern: accountability and remediation2 lessons

   • When ethics becomes a conduct or competence concern
   • Insight, reflection and remediation after an ethical concern
9. 9Conclusion and key points1 lesson

   • Conclusion and key points
10. 10References and further reading1 lesson

    • References and further reading
11. 11Reflection1 lesson

    • Your reflective account

Who this course is for

Health practitioners registered with any of New Zealand's 18 responsible authorities under the HPCA Act 2003, including doctors, nurses, midwives, oral health practitioners, pharmacists, psychologists, physiotherapists and paramedics.