CPD Requirements & Compliance Guide
Everything you need to know about meeting your CPD requirements, explained clearly: exactly how many hours you need, what counts, how to document it, and what happens if you're audited. Every figure below comes directly from the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) or the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), with links to the source so you can check it yourself.
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How many CPD hours do you need?
- Registered nurse – 20 hours
- Enrolled nurse – 20 hours
- Midwife – 20 hours
- Dual registration (nurse and midwife) – 40 hours (20 for each)
- Nurse practitioner or scheduled medicines endorsement – 30 hours (20 base + 10 endorsement-specific)
Your CPD year runs from 1 June to 31 May. If you hold non-practising registration, these requirements don’t apply to you.
What counts as CPD?
CPD can be formal or informal, as long as it’s relevant to your scope of practice and has a clear learning purpose. That includes courses, conferences and workshops, structured reading and reflection, mentoring, and relevant workplace learning, not just accredited courses.
How to document your CPD
Keep records of everything: what you did, when, and how it relates to your practice. The NMBA requires you to keep CPD records for at least five years from the date you completed each activity, since it may request evidence as part of an audit or a notification (complaint) investigation.
Audits: what to expect
The NMBA can select nurses and midwives for audit at its discretion, at any time, not just around renewal. If you’re selected, you’ll need to provide your CPD plan for the previous year and evidence that you completed it.
Recency of practice: a related (but separate) requirement
CPD isn’t the only registration standard you need to meet. Recency of practice is a separate NMBA standard requiring a minimum of 450 hours of practice within the past five years (these hours don’t need to be continuous). If you fall short, you may need to complete supervised practice or an NMBA-approved re-entry to practice program before you can return to clinical work.
Heads up: standards under review
AHPRA and the National Boards, including the NMBA, ran a public consultation titled “Review of the recency of practice and continuing professional development registration standards” from 15 May to 17 July 2026. As of this review, that consultation has closed but no revised standard has been approved or given a start date. The figures above reflect the current, still-in-force standards. We’ll update this page as soon as anything changes.
What if I don’t think I’ll complete my hours in time?
This is uncommon, but if you’re worried, don’t wait for your renewal notice. Contact AHPRA directly, they can advise on your specific situation. In the meantime, prioritise catching up and keep clear records of everything you do complete.
Compliance Sorted, Career Open
Once your CPD is sorted, there's nothing standing between you and what's next. Nursing Australia supports nurses at every stage, from your first shift to your next specialty, with flexible roles across hospitals, aged care, disability support and community care nationwide.