Purpose
This suite of 22 online learning units has been developed to provide internationally qualified health professionals with an orientation to, and foundational understanding of, the Australian health system when they start work in Australia.
Health professionals are encouraged to complete further training that is relevant and specific to their workplace and profession, which may be delivered or set by employers, professional bodies, or regulators.
These units are suitable for all health professionals, including medical practitioners, nurses, midwives, dental practitioners, and allied health professionals.
How to use
These self-paced units each take approximately 10–45 minutes and can be completed in any order.
Learners or supervisors can use our checklist to track completion.
Learning units
Unit | Topic | Description | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
Unit 1 | Australia and the health of its people | This unit provides an overview of Australia’s geography, population, and the health of its people. It explores Australia’s unique national context, its diverse and multicultural population, and key trends shaping the health of Australians. | 25 minutes |
Unit 2 | The Australian health system | This unit provides an overview of the principles and funding structure of Australia’s health system. It outlines the roles of federal, state, territory, and local governments, and highlights key programs that support public health across the country. | 25 minutes |
Unit 3 | Medicare | This unit provides an overview of Medicare, including how it operates and who is covered. It also explains Medicare provider numbers, the referral process, and the Child Dental Benefits Schedule, outlining how subsidised healthcare services are accessed. | 25–30 minutes |
Unit 4 | Regulating and prescribing pharmaceuticals | This unit provides an overview of pharmaceuticals in Australia, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, regulation and scheduling. It explores the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, prescribing practices, and the acceptable terms, abbreviations, and dose designations used in clinical care. | 40 minutes |
Unit 5 | National Disability Insurance Scheme | This unit provides an overview of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), including its purpose and key organisations. It outlines how to work effectively with scheme participants and clarifies the responsibilities of health professionals when interacting with the scheme. | 10 minutes |
Unit 6 | Health system funding other than Medicare | This unit provides an overview of health system funding beyond Medicare, including the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, private health insurance, workers’ compensation, and compulsory third-party insurance. It outlines how these schemes support access to healthcare and interact with clinical practice. | 25 minutes |
Unit 7 | Regulation: maintaining safety and quality in patient care | This unit provides an overview of the Australian health workforce, including its structure and regulation. It outlines the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme, professions not covered by it, and the regulation of health practitioners and services. It also covers professional indemnity insurance and key legislative and regulatory requirements, including advertising. | 45 minutes |
Unit 8 | Complaints and notifications | This unit provides an overview of the complaints and notifications process for health professionals in Australia. It explains the difference between a complaint and a notification, who can make them, who assesses them, and the responsibilities of health professionals in responding appropriately within legal and professional standards. | 15 minutes |
Unit 9 | Consent in Australian healthcare | This unit provides an overview of consent in Australian healthcare, including legal and ethical requirements. It explains capacity, substitute decision-makers, and the responsibilities of health professionals when obtaining and documenting consent. | 25 minutes |
Unit 10 | Health information and privacy | This unit provides an overview of health information in Australia, including the principles and legal requirements for its collection, use, and disclosure. It also explores privacy, confidentiality, and My Health Record, and their role in supporting safe and ethical clinical practice. | 30 minutes |
Unit 11 | Policies and processes concerning death and dying | This unit provides an overview of the legal and professional responsibilities when a person dies in Australia. It covers the Coroners Act, completion of Parts A and B of the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, and key aspects of end-of-life and palliative care, including advance care planning, advance care directives, and voluntary assisted dying. | 30 minutes |
Unit 12 | Child protection and domestic family violence | This unit covers child protection, child abuse and neglect, and responses to domestic and family violence. It emphasises the responsibility of health professionals to identify, respond to, and report concerns, while building skills to support vulnerable patients using trauma-informed, and legally compliant approaches. | 20 minutes |
Unit 13 | Aged care | This unit provides an overview of aged care in Australia, including services and workforce. It outlines how services are funded, accessed, and regulated, and key professionals and types of care supporting older people. | 20 minutes |
Unit 14 | Mental health services | This unit provides an overview of mental health services in Australia and how they support people with diverse mental health needs. It explores the main types of services and the range of professionals involved, highlighting their roles in delivering care. | 20 minutes |
Unit 15 | Working in the Australian health system | This unit provides an overview of working in the Australian health system, including employment conditions, remuneration, and leave entitlements. It also explores diversity and inclusion, respectful workplace behaviour, and support services to maintain health and wellbeing of health professionals. | 40 minutes |
Unit 16 | Clinical communication and open disclosure | This unit provides an overview of communication in clinical practice and open disclosure. It emphasises clear, safe communication with patients, families, and multidisciplinary teams. | 20 minutes |
Unit 17 | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples | This unit recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia and builds cultural understanding. It introduces key terminology, explores the diversity of Country, cultures and languages, and provides an overview of contemporary lived experiences. | 30 minutes |
Unit 18 | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples – History and systems | This unit provides an overview of colonisation in Australia and its ongoing impacts on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing. It examines how policies and practices have shaped health outcomes, explores intergenerational trauma and resilience, and considers how these legacies continue to influence experiences of healthcare today. | 25 minutes |
Unit 19 | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples – What is cultural safety in the Australian health context | This unit introduces the concept of cultural safety, emphasising its foundational importance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples within the Australian health system. It outlines responsibilities across the health system and explores social and emotional wellbeing. | 30 minutes |
Unit 20 | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples – Communication, respect and racism | This unit examines how communication shapes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ healthcare experiences, highlighting culturally respectful practice, barriers to care, and the importance of respect, trust, and family-centred decision-making. | 20 minutes |
Unit 21 | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples – Access and working with diverse peoples | This unit explores the Australian health system for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, focusing on barriers to timely, culturally safe care, the role of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled health organisations, intersectionality, and the contribution of health professionals in rural and remote communities. | 25 minutes |
Unit 22 | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples – Cultural learning and reflection in practice | This unit supports reflection on clinical role and translating theory into practice to strengthen culturally safe care. It emphasises continuing cultural learning as an ongoing journey shaped by experience, building understanding, relationships and care outcomes. | 15 minutes |
More resources
Visit Resources for Internationally Qualified Health Professionals and Employers for more information to support living and working in Australia.
Contact
Health Workforce Taskforce secretariat
Contact us for more information about the Health Workforce Taskforce.
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