Student Registration with AHPRA

This information is provided to students with disability because their student registration with AHPRA may be affected by having a disability.

What is AHPRA?

AHPRA is the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. It supports the National Boards that are responsible for regulating health professions. Health practitioners across Australia are regulated by the following National Boards who develop and implement registration and accreditation standards for their profession within Australia:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Board
• Chinese Medicine Board
• Chiropractic Board
• Dental Board
• Medical Board
• Medical Radiation Practice Board
• Nursing and Midwifery Board
• Occupational Therapy Board
• Optometry Board
• Osteopathy Board
• Pharmacy Board
• Physiotherapy Board
• Podiatry Board
• Psychology Board

The primary role of AHPRA is to protect the public and set standards and policies that all registered health practitioners must meet as well as managing the registration processes for health practitioners and students around Australia.

What is Student Registration with AHPRA?

Under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, the National Boards listed above have the power to require students enrolled in programs of study approved by the National Boards to register as students with AHPRA. With the exception of the Psychology Board, all of the National Boards listed above now require students enrolled in approved programs to be registered with AHPRA.

Individual students do not need to do anything to register with their National Board. The University ensures that the details of all students enrolled in an approved program of study or who are undertaking clinical training are provided to AHPRA.

This information is not published online and is not publicly available. There is no fee for the student to be registered with AHPRA.

Students enrolled in the University’s undergraduate Psychology programs are not required to register with AHPRA or the Psychology Board. However, students enrolled in the University’s Master of Clinical Psychology program may be required to register as a provisional psychologist with the Psychology Board prior to commencing their studies. Students should contact the Psychology Board of Australia (http://www.psychologyboard.gov.au/) for more information on this process.

Why do students need to be registered with AHPRA?

The National Boards and AHPRA have responsibility for registering students and managing notifications about students.

Notifications are made about students:

• whose health is impaired to such a degree that there may be a substantial risk of harm to the public; or
• who have been charged with an offence, or have been convicted or found guilty of an offence which is punishable by 12 months imprisonment

 What is Mandatory reporting?

CQUniversity has responsibility for mandatory reporting of students who have an impairment that may place the public at substantial risk of harm.

This means that the University is obliged to notify AHPRA if it believes you have an impairment, which in the course of undertaking clinical training as part of your program of study, may place the public at substantial risk of harm. 'Impairment' is defined as a physical or mental impairment, disability, condition or disorder (including substance abuse or dependence) that negatively impacts or is likely to negatively impact your capacity to undertake clinical training.

What are my responsibilities?

If you believe you have a medical condition or disability that may place the public at substantial risk of harm when you are on clinical placement/training, please discuss your circumstances with your Dean of School or course coordinator. You may also discuss your situation with the Counselling and Disability Service. The Counselling and Disability Service may be able to liaise on your behalf with the Dean of School. See the Disability Policy and Disability Support Procedures for details.

If you do not currently have an impairment but your health condition changes in the future to the extent that it impacts you when you are on clinical placement/training, you must discuss this with the Dean of School or your course coordinator or the Counselling and Disability Service.

 For further information about Student Registration with AHPRA see the FAQ.