Paramedicine Board of Australia MCQ flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

CPD hours per year

Registered paramedics must complete 30 hours of continuing professional development per 12-month registration year, including at least 10 hours in emergency or urgent care contexts.

English language test scores

Applicants whose primary language is not English must achieve IELTS Academic 7.0 in all bands, or OET grade B in all components, or PTE Academic 65 in all communicative skills.

Criminal history disclosure

Applicants must disclose all charges, convictions, and pleas, including spent convictions, and provide a national police check; failure to disclose is a separate ground for disciplinary action.

Professional indemnity insurance minimum

Practitioners must hold professional indemnity insurance covering all aspects of their practice, with a minimum cover of $5 million per claim, and provide a certificate of currency at renewal.

Recency of practice hours

General registration requires at least 450 hours of practice in the preceding five years; otherwise the applicant must complete a return-to-practice program or supervised practice.

Registration renewal date

Registration expires on 30 November each year; renewal applications must be lodged by that date, and late applications incur a late fee and may result in a lapse in registration.

Code of Conduct domains

The Paramedicine Board's Code of Conduct is organised into four domains: professionalism, person-centred care, cultural safety, and collaboration, each with specific expected behaviours.

Informed consent requirement

Paramedics must obtain informed consent before assessment or treatment, explaining risks and alternatives; in emergencies, implied consent or necessity may apply, but consent should be sought as soon as practicable.

Mandatory notification of impairment

A treating practitioner must notify Ahpra if a registered health practitioner has an impairment that places the public at substantial risk, except when the information was obtained in the course of treatment.

Employer notification timeframe

Employers must notify Ahpra within 7 days of terminating or restricting a practitioner's employment for a notifiable reason, such as misconduct or impairment.

Self-reporting of charges

Practitioners must self-report to Ahpra within 7 days any charge or conviction for an offence punishable by 12 months imprisonment or more, including traffic offences and drink-driving charges.

Mandatory notification exemptions

Treating practitioners are exempt from notifying information obtained during treatment, except for sexual misconduct or an impairment that places the public at substantial risk of harm.

Immediate action power

A Board may take immediate action to suspend or impose conditions on a practitioner's registration if it reasonably believes the practitioner poses a serious risk to the public.

Health assessment process

A Board may refer a practitioner for a health assessment by an independent practitioner; the report may lead to conditions, suspension, or no further action, and the practitioner can respond.

Performance assessment purpose

A performance assessment evaluates a practitioner's competence against the expected standard for their scope of practice; outcomes range from no action to supervised practice or further education conditions.

Panel hearing composition

A panel consists of two or three members, including a practitioner from the same profession and a community member, and conducts a hearing with procedural fairness to decide on conditions or suspension.

Tribunal hearing powers

A tribunal, with three to five members, hears serious matters and may cancel registration, disqualify a practitioner from applying for a period, or impose conditions.

Monitoring of conditions

Ahpra monitors compliance with conditions, requiring practitioners to provide evidence at specified intervals; failure to comply can lead to further action, including suspension.

Approved programs of study

Only graduates of programs accredited by the Paramedicine Board and listed on the Ahpra website are eligible for general registration as a paramedic.

Student registration

Students enrolled in an approved paramedicine program must hold student registration, which is free and must be renewed annually; it permits clinical placements under supervision.

Public register contents

The public register lists each practitioner's name, registration number, registration type, conditions, reprimands, and suspensions, and is accessible to the public online.

Employer services portal

The Ahpra employer portal allows employers to verify a practitioner's registration status and conditions in real time, supporting workforce compliance and patient safety.

Provisional registration

Provisional registration may be granted to applicants who meet most requirements, with conditions to complete outstanding requirements within a specified period, such as supervised practice or further assessment.

Registration application documents

Applications require certified identity documents, qualification evidence, English language evidence, a criminal history check, and a professional indemnity insurance certificate of currency.

Non-practising registration

Non-practising registration allows use of the protected title but prohibits clinical practice; returning to practice requires a transfer application and evidence of recency.

Professional boundaries

Sexual relationships with current patients or their close relatives are prohibited; relationships with former patients require a 12-month interval and documented risk assessment.

Cultural safety obligation

Paramedics must provide care that is culturally safe for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, recognising the impact of colonisation, racism, and intergenerational trauma on health.

Documentation standards

Clinical records must be contemporaneous, accurate, legible, and retained per jurisdictional requirements; falsifying or altering records constitutes professional misconduct.

Scope of practice

Paramedics must practise within their competence and authorised scope, escalating or referring when a situation exceeds their scope, and must not perform restricted activities without authorisation.

Notification assessment pathways

Ahpra may close a notification without action, refer it to a health or performance assessment, or refer it to a panel or tribunal for hearing.

Notifier protection

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

Register update timeframe

The public register is updated within 7 days of any change in a practitioner's registration status, including new conditions, suspensions, or cancellations.