What are CPD requirements? Nurses and midwives registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (National Board) are expected to annually attend to a minimum number of continuing professional development (CPD) hours directly relevant to the nurse or midwife’s context of practice.
In what areas can I claim CPD hours? Basically any role, remunerated or not, where you use your skills and knowledge as a nurse and/or midwife. Thankfully, it is not restricted to providing direct clinical care. It also includes working in a direct non-clinical relationship with patients, working in management, administration, education, research, advisory, regulatory or policy development roles, and any other roles that impact on safe, effective delivery of services in the profession and/or use their professional skills.
CPD records may include participation in the following activities:
- Tertiary and other accredited courses, including distance education (in context of practice)
- Conferences, forums, seminars and symposia
- Short courses, workshops, seminars and discussion groups through a professional group or organisation who may issue a certificate of compliance/completion
- Mandatory learning activities in the workplace in the area of practice
- Service to the profession
- Self directed learning, and
- Any other structured activities not covered above.
How many CPD hours do I need annually?
| Type of Registration | Minimum Hours | Total Hours |
| Registered nurse or Enrolled nurse | 20 hours | 20 hours |
| Midwife | 20 hours | 20 hours |
| Registration as a registered nurse and midwife | Registered nurse – 20 hoursMidwife – 20 hours | 40 hours |
| Registration as an enrolled nurse and midwife | Enrolled nurse – 20 hoursMidwife – 20 hours | 40 hours |
| Nurse practitioner(Registered nurse with endorsement) | Registered nurse – 20 hoursNurse practitioner endorsement – 10 hours relating to prescribing and administration of medicines, diagnostics investigations, consultation and referral | 30 hours |
| Midwife practitioner(Midwife with endorsement) | Midwife – 20 hoursEndorsement – 10 hours relating to prescribing and administration of medicines, diagnostics investigations, consultation and referral | 30 hours |
| Registered nurse with scheduled medicines endorsement (rural and remote) | Registered nurse – 20 hoursScheduled medicines -10 hours | 30 hours |
| Eligible midwife(Midwife with notation) | Midwife – 20 hoursNotation – 20 hours relevant to the context of practice and across the continuum of midwifery care | 40 hours |
| Endorsed eligible midwife (scheduled medicines)(Eligible midwife with endorsement) | Midwife – 20 hoursEndorsement – 20 hours (e.g.10 hours relating to continuum of midwifery care and 10 hours relating to prescribing and administration of medicines, diagnostics investigations, consultation and referral). | 40 hours |
| Registration as a nurse and endorsed eligible midwife | Registered nurse – 20 hours/Enrolled nurse – 20 hoursMidwife – 20 hours
Eligible midwife with a scheduled medicines endorsement – an additional 20 hours (e.g.10 hours relating to continuum of midwifery care and 10 hours relating to prescribing and administration of medicines, diagnostics investigations, consultation and referral). |
40 hours |
What if I am audited? You may have heard through the grapevine that random audits are conducted frequently and any one of us could be audited at any time. f you are selected for audit you will be given an audit checklist to complete outlining the documents you need to show as evidence of completing your annual CPD.
There’s nothing more frustrating than realising, at the 11th hour mark, that you have not recorded any CPD hours. Have a look at the table below as an example of how easily you can track your hours.
| Date | Provider | Type of activity | Description of topic/s covered during activity and outcome | Relevance to practice | Evidence provided CPD hours |
CPD hours |
| 17/5/12 | NMBA | Self Directed -Review of decision making framework from the National Board website. | Reviewed the scope of practice for my profession and that of me as an individual. Gained an appreciation of the principles I need to apply when making decisions about my nursing practice and when and how I decide to delegate activities to other RN’s and EN’s. | Achieve learning need as per my learning plan. As team leader ICU I will be able to apply the Nursing decision making framework when I allocate staff to patient care and delegate tasks as they arise during a shift. | 2 hrs | |
| 23/5/12 | ALS in practice (XYZ Provider) | Workshop | ALS re-accreditation | This activity provided me with new theory and a practical competence assessment in relation to advanced life support. I will be able to apply this to patients’ in respiratory/cardiac arrest and when part of the medical emergency team. | Certificate of Attendance | 3 hrs |
For more detailed info on CPD requirements, visit Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia at https://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines-Statements/FAQ/CPD-FAQ-for-nurses-and-midwives.aspx
