Paramedicine Board of Australia MCQ cheat sheet

CPD standard: 30 hours per 12-month registration year, including at least 10 hours in emergency or urgent care contexts; a CPD plan and record must be kept for 5 years.

English language skills standard: primary language pathway requires 5 years of continuous education taught and assessed in English; otherwise IELTS 7.0 academic (all bands ≥7.0) or equivalent OET/PTE result.

Criminal history standard: all registrations require disclosure of every charge, conviction, and plea, including spent convictions; failure to disclose is a separate ground for action.

Professional indemnity insurance standard: practitioners must hold PII covering all practice, with a minimum of $5 million per claim; student and non-practising registrants are exempt.

Recency of practice standard: at least 450 hours of practice in the preceding 5 years for general registration; otherwise a return-to-practice plan or supervised practice period is required.

Registration periods run 1 December to 30 November; renewal applications must be lodged by 30 November to avoid late fees and lapse.

Eligibility also requires an approved qualification or equivalent, and for paramedicine, completion of an approved program of study accredited by the Paramedicine Board.

Non-practising registration permits use of the title but prohibits clinical practice; practising again requires a transfer application and recency evidence.

The Code of Conduct for Paramedics is built on four domains: professionalism, person-centred care, cultural safety, and collaboration.

Paramedics must obtain informed consent before assessment or treatment, except in emergencies where implied consent or necessity applies.

Mandatory reporting of impairments: a treating practitioner must notify if a registered health practitioner has an impairment that places the public at substantial risk.

Professional boundaries: sexual relationships with current patients or their close relatives are prohibited; personal relationships with former patients require a 12-month interval and documented risk assessment.

Cultural safety: practitioners must provide care that is culturally safe for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and recognise the impact of colonisation and racism on health.

Documentation must be contemporaneous, accurate, legible, and retained per jurisdictional records requirements; falsifying records is professional misconduct.

Scope of practice: paramedics must practise within their competence and authority, and escalate or refer when a situation exceeds their scope.

Advertising and social media: practitioners must not use titles or make claims that mislead the public, and must protect patient privacy online.

Mandatory notification categories for registered practitioners: impairment, intoxication in practice, significant departure from accepted professional standards, and sexual misconduct.

A mandatory notification must be made within 7 days of forming the reasonable belief that a ground exists.

Employers must notify Ahpra within 7 days of terminating or otherwise restricting a practitioner's employment for a notifiable reason.

Self-reporting: a practitioner must report to Ahpra within 7 days any charge or conviction for an offence punishable by 12 months imprisonment or more.

Self-reporting also covers: becoming aware of an impairment that may place the public at risk, and any change to their registration status or conditions.

Notifications about students: education providers must notify if a student is impaired or has engaged in conduct that may place the public at risk.

Exemptions from mandatory notification: treating practitioners are exempt for information obtained in the course of treatment, except for sexual misconduct or impairment placing the public at substantial risk.

A notifier acting in good faith is protected from civil, criminal, and disciplinary liability; making a knowingly false notification is an offence.

Ahpra assesses every notification and may close it without action, refer it to a health or performance assessment, or refer it to a panel or tribunal.

Immediate action: the Board may suspend or impose conditions on registration if it believes the practitioner poses a serious risk to the public.

Health assessments are conducted by an independent practitioner appointed by the Board; the report may result in conditions, suspension, or no further action.

Performance assessments test competence against the expected standard; outcomes range from no action to supervised practice or further education conditions.

Panels (2–3 members) conduct a hearing with procedural fairness and may impose conditions, suspend, or caution; tribunals (3–5 members) handle serious matters and can cancel registration or disqualify.

Monitoring and compliance: conditions are monitored by Ahpra, and practitioners must provide evidence of compliance at intervals specified in the conditions.

A practitioner may appeal a panel or tribunal decision to the relevant state or territory Supreme Court or the responsible tribunal, depending on jurisdiction.

Notifications are confidential, but the practitioner is always informed of the substance of the notification and given an opportunity to respond.

Approved programs of study are accredited by the Paramedicine Board and listed on the Ahpra website; only graduates of approved programs qualify for general registration.

Student registration is required for students enrolled in an approved program; it is free and must be renewed annually.

Graduate registration is not a separate category for paramedicine; graduates apply for general registration and must meet the same standards.

The public register lists every registered practitioner's name, registration number, type, conditions, and any reprimands or suspensions.

Employer services allow employers to verify registration status and conditions through the Ahpra employer portal.

Registration applications require certified identity documents, qualification evidence, English language evidence, criminal history check, and PII certificate.

The register is updated within 7 days of a change in registration status, including conditions and suspensions.

Provisional registration may be granted to applicants who meet most but not all requirements, with conditions to complete the outstanding requirements within a specified period.