Advance your practice - look beyond meeting NMBA requirements for CPD
Each year, nurses across Australia face the same familiar reminder: meet your CPD requirements before renewal. But what if continuing professional development (CPD) could be more than a checklist item? What if it could actively enhance your clinical practice, confidence, and career direction—without adding more to your plate?
Here’s how to take a smart approach to CPD—one that’s both strategic and satisfying.
Align CPD with Your Clinical Interests
Choosing CPD for convenience, may tick the box, but is it the best use of your time. Choosing topics that have clinical relevance, or professional growth opportunities means you're going to get more out of your learning.
🔹 Tip: Review your recent clinical experiences. What challenged you? What do you want to do better? Let your curiosity guide your learning.
Use CPD to Strengthen Clinical Confidence
CPD isn’t just about meeting NMBA standards—it’s a tool to feel more capable at the bedside. Choosing interactive courses, case studies, and simulation-based learning can help you apply knowledge under pressure.
We know nurses who refresh their ALS or PALS skills annually report greater confidence during real-life resuscitations. That’s the kind of CPD that sticks. Not everyone has access to ALS and PALS courses in their own hospitals, that's why we deliver both full certifications and recertification courses. Focusing on a team based approach reflective of clinical practice. We know that not everyone can attend these courses annualy, but with our 4 hour recertification course if you're short on time, you can keep your skills up. In between, why not do our Ready - Set - Resus - scenarios released monthly, these will keep you on your toes as you work your way through a medical emergency.
Make It Count Twice
Some of the smartest CPD choices serve dual purposes. For example:
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A medication safety course that ticks the CPD box and makes you a safer clinician.
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A resuscitation instructor course that counts toward your hours and helps you step into a new role.
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A refresher on deteriorating patient management that improves your MET call performance.
Mix Up the Formats
Podcasts during your commute. Webinars over lunch. Self-paced eLearning on a quiet night shift. There’s never been more flexibility in how you learn—so use it to your advantage.
🔹 Tip: Bookmark a few CPD products and explore the topics regularly.
Track and Reflect—Not Just Record
Don’t just list your hours in a spreadsheet. Reflect on them. The NMBA encourages reflection for good reason—it helps you connect what you’ve learned with how you practice. Did you know that all of our courses include a brief reflective question during the evaluation. You also have access to the free CPD tracker that automatically logs your Medcast courses, and lets you upload CPD from any external source.
🔹 Tip: Try asking yourself:
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What did I learn that will change how I practice?
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What do I need to follow up on?
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What gaps still remain?
Ready to get started?
Explore high-impact, accredited CPD courses designed for Australian nurses at Medcast—including topics in resuscitation, perioperative care, critical care and paediatrics.
Meet your CPD. Advance your practice. Be the nurse you want to be.
Lunch and Learn Series - free CPD in your lunch break or daily commute
Designed as a virtual in-service. These 30 minute sessions are all case based, and picked from common clinical problems our expert presenters have experienced themselves in clinical practice. Providing an update on the latest evidence in a digestable short session that you get to test your knowledge with the interactive polls throughout the webinar. Delivered every 1 -2 months, there are plenty of topics to choose from including:
Lunch and Learn: Special circumstances of cardiac arrest
Lunch and Learn: Met call mayhem
Lunch and Learn: Ten seconds to triage
Lunch and Learn: From the heart
Critical Bytes Series - something to chew on instead of doomsday scrolling
Some topics need more discussion. We've built the critical bytes series, to give you a broader understanding of topics like paediatric trauma, obstetric emergencies, triage, heart failure and APO management, asthma, airway emergencies malignant hyperthermia, crisis resource management and human factors training.
Access our latest Critical Bytes
Courses for indepth learning
Whether you're looking to transition to a new clinical area, new to the game of nursing, or looking to extend your knowledge we have some in-depth courses for critical care, perioperative, acute care and specialist skills. You'll need to pack a lunch for these full day outings, but they will set you well on your way to earning your annual CPD hours while you get a complete update on what you need for advanced clinical practice.
12 Lead ECG Interpretation Course
Perioperative Nursing Update Course (PNU)
Remember: CPD Is for You
Ultimately, CPD isn’t for AHPRA—it’s for you. It’s your chance to take stock, stay sharp, and strengthen your clinical value. Whether it’s mastering a new skill, revisiting the basics, or expanding into leadership, CPD done well is an investment in your own future.
We're here to support you with a range of options tailored to your needs. Explore the catelogue and take the next step in your CPD journey with confidence.
Susan is the Head of Nursing Education for the Medcast Group.
DipAppScNsg, BN, CritCareCert, CoronaryCareCert, TraumaNsgCareCert, CertIV(TAE), MN(Ed), and GradCert(Ldrshp & Mgt).
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Learn moreReflecting on the legacy of Florence Nightingale, we can draw parallels between her reforms and passion and the continued drive and passion of nurses today. The most powerful changes often start with a single spark of curiosity reigniting our purpose and refining our practice as we rediscover the ‘why’
This article explores the risks and management of dynamic hyperinflation in mechanically ventilated patients with status asthmaticus. It outlines causes such as airway obstruction and bronchospasm, and provides strategies for adjusting ventilation settings to minimise gas trapping, support cardiac function, and reduce complications like pneumothorax and systemic hypotension.
While cardiac arrest is often a rare event, the high stakes nature means we need to be able to respond instinctively, ensuring immediate effective action when it matters most. How do you stay prepared in-between ALS or PALS courses?