Your professional obligations

As nurses, midwives and students you are in a respected and vital position, providing care to individuals and their families in a diverse range of settings across Australia. You ensure your therapeutic interventions and professional relationships are safe, person-centred, appropriate and responsive.

If you would like to chat to someone you can call our confidential support line 24/7 on 1800 667 877.

Health issues and your work

You are not immune to experiencing health issues that may have a direct impact on your ability to provide safe and quality care. There are some unique workplace demands that may affect your own health and wellbeing, or that of a colleague. Health issues that are not acknowledged and treated can escalate to a health impairment which can impact on the ability to provide safe and quality care.

All nurses, midwives and students are professionally, ethically and legally accountable to provide safe and quality care, ensuring your health and your colleagues' health is not impaired to a degree that clients and patients are at risk of harm.

Your professional responsibilities

Nurses and midwives in Australia, as registered health practitioners, have professional obligations concerning their own health and the health of their colleagues. This may include making a voluntary or mandatory notification to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) if the public is at risk of harm.