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Why ethics and professionalism courses should match your profession
The HPCA Act gives each responsible authority the job of setting standards of clinical competence, cultural competence and ethical conduct for its own practitioners (section 118). That is why a nurse is measured against the Nursing Council's Code of Conduct, a pharmacist against the Pharmacy Council's Code of Ethics 2018 and a dentist against the Dental Council's Standards Framework. The values overlap, but the wording, the examples and the risk areas do not.
A generic ethics module can explain autonomy, beneficence and justice. What it cannot do is show a pharmacist how principle 5 of their Code (professional independence) applies when an owner pushes a sales target, or show a midwife where the Midwifery Council draws the line on relationships with a woman's partner or family. When a concern is raised, committees and the Tribunal ask whether you met your profession's standard. Learning built on that standard is easier to apply and easier to reflect on.
Searches for ethics CPD in New Zealand mostly return university papers, overseas college resources and courses written for Australian or South African practitioners. Our pages fill that gap with courses built on New Zealand law, New Zealand codes and New Zealand cases.
Choose your profession
Each profession page sets out the two core courses, how they map to your regulator's code, how they can support your recertification programme, and the supporting courses most relevant to your daily work.
- Doctors: Medical Council of New Zealand. Good medical practice and the Council statements on prescribing, certification, self-treatment, commercial interests and AI.
- Nurses: Nursing Council of New Zealand. The Code of Conduct's eight principles, the 2025 six-pou standards of competence, delegation and boundaries.
- Midwives: Te Tatau o te Whare Kahu, Midwifery Council. Partnership, informed choice, maternity records and competence reviews.
- Dentists and oral health practitioners: Dental Council. The Standards Framework, its 28 professional standards, fees, consent and infection control.
- Pharmacists: Pharmacy Council. The seven principles of the Code of Ethics 2018, the Competence Standards and MyRecert.
- Psychologists: New Zealand Psychologists Board. The Board's new Code of Conduct, primary guidance from 1 October 2026, and its core competencies.
- Physiotherapists: Physiotherapy Board. The joint Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and the Physiotherapy Standards Framework.
- Optometrists and dispensing opticians: Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Board. Ethical conduct in clinical and retail settings.
- Osteopaths: Osteopathic Council. Hands-on care, consent and boundaries.
- Chiropractors: Chiropractic Board. Advertising, treatment plans, consent and conduct.
If your profession is not listed (for example paramedics, occupational therapists, medical radiation technologists, dietitians or podiatrists), start with the two cross-profession courses below. They cover the HPCA Act framework that applies to all 18 responsible authorities.
Ethics or professionalism: what is the difference?
The two words are often used together, and regulators rarely separate them. For learning purposes, we do.
| Ethics course | Professionalism course | |
|---|---|---|
| Core question | What is the right thing to do here, and why? | What does my regulator require of me, and can I show I meet it? |
| Focus | Values, principles, reasoning and dilemmas | Conduct, standards, scope of practice, records and accountability |
| Typical cases | Conflicting duties, refusal of care, conscience, resource limits, conflicts of interest | Working outside scope, delegation, practising certificate duties, supervision, notification |
| What you leave with | A decision method you can explain to a colleague, committee or patient | A checklist of the standards that apply to your role and the evidence that shows you meet them |
Most practitioners benefit from both. Ethical reasoning without knowledge of the standards leads to well-meant decisions that still breach a code. Knowledge of the standards without ethical reasoning leaves you stuck when a situation is not covered by any rule.
The cross-profession core set
Core course 1Ethics
Ethics for New Zealand Health Practitioners
Ethical reasoning for Aotearoa: a seven-step decision framework, the Code of Rights, Te Tiriti and cultural safety, conscientious objection and end-of-life law.
Core course 2Professionalism
Professionalism in Practice for Health Practitioners
What regulators expect: scope and APCs, teamwork and leadership, conduct outside work and online, health notifications and raising concerns about colleagues.
Which one do I need?
| Compare | Ethics for New Zealand Health Practitioners | Professionalism in Practice for Health Practitioners |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Values, reasoning and ethical dilemmas | Conduct, standards, scope, records and accountability |
| The question it answers | What is the right thing to do here, and why? | What do my standards require, and how do I show it? |
| Choose it when | A decision, a dilemma or your judgement is in question | Behaviour, systems, scope of practice or records are in question |
Not sure? Many concerns and most CPD plans need both: take them together for a complete picture.
These two courses are written for every profession regulated under the HPCA Act. They suit practitioners in smaller professions, those who work in multidisciplinary teams, and anyone who wants the shared framework before moving to their own profession's course.
- Ethics for New Zealand Health Practitioners: principles and theories, a seven-step decision framework, the Code of Rights, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and cultural safety, conscientious objection and the End of Life Choice Act 2019.
- Professionalism in Practice for Health Practitioners: scope of practice and conditions, honest APC declarations, recertification and competence review, conduct outside work and online, your own health and the duty to notify.
Supporting courses most practitioners add
Ethics and professionalism concerns usually arise in a specific area of practice. These courses go deeper on the areas most often raised in HDC opinions and Tribunal decisions across professions.
How to choose the right courses
For routine CPD and recertification
Start with the two core courses for your profession. Then pick one supporting course linked to a goal in your professional development plan, such as consent, cultural safety or record keeping. Write a short reflection on how each course changed what you do.
If you are new to practice in New Zealand
Overseas-trained practitioners often know the clinical work but not the HDC Code, the HPCA Act or Te Tiriti obligations. Take the professionalism course for your profession first, then the ethics course, then cultural safety and health equity.
If a concern has been raised
Take advice first from your indemnity insurer, union or professional association, or a lawyer. Then look at our remediation courses, which group courses by type of concern, and our guide to fitness to practise in New Zealand. If a responsible authority or the Tribunal has ordered education, check with them or your supervisor that a course meets the terms of the order before you enrol.
If you lead a team
Managers and clinical leads often use the same course across a team, then hold a short group discussion. Each person still completes the assessment and reflection on their own.
How these courses fit recertification
Every responsible authority runs a recertification programme under section 41 of the HPCA Act, and most count relevant learning that you plan and reflect on. Requirements differ widely: the Nursing Council looks for 60 hours of professional development over three years, the Pharmacy Council uses MyRecert with a verifier, the Dental Council has no minimum hours but requires a professional peer and a written reflection, and doctors follow Inpractice or their college programme.
Honest positioning. No New Zealand responsible authority we checked approves individual outside CPD courses for general use, so we never claim council approval or a credit value. Your certificate records the estimated learning time; whether they count depends on your programme and your PDP.
See your profession's recertification guide from the profession page, or browse all courses in the catalogue.
How online study works
- Instant access after enrolment, on any device, at your own pace.
- Each course is worth 2 or more hours (estimated) (most are 3), shown on the course card.
- Short knowledge checks after each section, then a 20-question final assessment.
- Pass mark 80% (16 out of 20). You can review the material and try again.
- A certificate of completion and a structured reflective account to keep with your recertification evidence.
Start with your profession
Pick your profession above, or begin with the cross-profession core set if yours has its own page coming soon.
Questions
Which responsible authorities do your ethics and professionalism pages cover?
We have dedicated pages for doctors, nurses, midwives, dental and oral health practitioners, pharmacists, psychologists, physiotherapists, optometrists and dispensing opticians, osteopaths and chiropractors. Practitioners registered with the other HPCA Act authorities, such as the Paramedic Council or the Occupational Therapy Board, can use our two cross-profession courses, which explain the framework shared by all 18 responsible authorities.
Is a profession-specific ethics course better than a general one for NZ practitioners?
Usually, yes. Each responsible authority writes its own code, and committees ask whether you met that code. A course built on your own council's wording and cases is easier to apply at work and gives you clearer material for reflection. The general course still has value for multidisciplinary teams and for professions without their own page.
Do I need both the ethics course and the professionalism course?
Not always, but most practitioners benefit from both. The ethics course builds reasoning for dilemmas. The professionalism course covers the concrete standards on scope, records, supervision and accountability. If you only have time for one, choose ethics for values-based PDP goals and professionalism if you are new to New Zealand practice.
How much learning time will my certificate show?
Each course card shows its estimated learning time. Most of our ethics and professionalism courses are 3 hours and none is under 2. The certificate records the course title, hours and completion date. How those hours are counted depends on your recertification programme, for example professional development hours for nurses or a learning goal in MyRecert for pharmacists.
What is the pass mark for the final assessment?
The final assessment has 20 multiple-choice questions and the pass mark is 80%, which means 16 correct answers. The questions are scenario-based and test whether you can apply the standards, not just recall them. If you do not pass first time, you can review the sections and try again.
How do the courses deal with Te Tiriti o Waitangi and cultural safety?
Cultural safety and equity run through every New Zealand course, using the wording of your own regulator, such as the Medical Council's cultural safety statement or the Nursing Council's pou on kawa whakaruruhau. For deeper learning, our separate Cultural Safety and Health Equity course can be added to any profession's set.
Can overseas-trained practitioners use these courses to learn New Zealand standards?
Yes, and many do. The courses explain the HPCA Act, the HDC Code of Rights, the role of Professional Conduct Committees and the Tribunal, and your council's own code in plain language with New Zealand cases. They are not a substitute for any orientation, supervision or assessment your responsible authority requires as a condition of registration.
Can I use an ethics course after a complaint has been made about me?
Many practitioners do, as part of showing insight and learning. Get advice first from your indemnity insurer, union, professional association or lawyer, and use our remediation course pages, which group courses by type of concern. No course can guarantee an outcome with the HDC, a committee or the Tribunal.
Will a course satisfy an education requirement set by a council or the Tribunal?
Only if the body that set it accepts the course. Competence programmes, recertification programmes and Tribunal conditions are set and monitored by the responsible authority or the Tribunal, which often specify content, provider or supervisor. Check the exact terms with them, your supervisor or your lawyer before you enrol.
What does the reflective account include?
After passing, you complete a structured reflection that prompts you to describe what you learned, how it applies to your practice and what you will do differently. It is designed to suit recertification evidence. Keep patients de-identified and write as if another person could read it, because personal reflections in New Zealand have only limited legal protection.
How long do I have to finish a course?
You get instant access and can study at your own pace, stopping and returning whenever you need. Most practitioners finish a 3-hour course over two or three sittings. Your progress is saved between sessions, and your certificate is available as soon as you pass the assessment and complete the reflection.
Do the courses reflect the 2026 changes to health practitioner law?
They describe the HPCA Act as it currently applies. The Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Amendment Bill was introduced in May 2026 and is before Parliament; its proposals are not law yet, so we mention it only as a change to watch. New guidance, such as the Medical Council's March 2026 statement on artificial intelligence, is included where relevant.
Can a practice manager buy courses for a whole team?
Yes. Teams often take the same core course and then discuss the cases together, which works well for shared PDP goals. Each team member must complete the assessment and reflection personally, because certificates are issued to the individual who studied the course, so each person needs their own enrolment and account.
Official sources
Checked October 2026. Rules and processes change, so confirm the current position with the official source. This page is general information, not legal advice.
- Ministry of Health – Responsible authorities
- Ministry of Health – Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Amendment Bill
- HDC – Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights
- Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal
- Privacy Commissioner – Amendment No 2 to the Health Information Privacy Code 2020
- Psychologists Board – Core competencies and code
How these courses are built
Official sources only
Every legal and regulatory point comes from primary sources: the HPCA Act 2003, the responsible authorities' standards and the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights. Anything we cannot confirm is left out.
Original, edition by edition
Lessons, scenarios and assessment questions are written by us for each edition separately, then checked for accuracy, teaching quality and fair assessment before publication.
Reviewed when rules change
When a code, standard or law changes, the affected courses are reviewed and updated. Reported errors in legal or regulatory facts are corrected first.