Australia: 20 hours, every year
The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia requires enrolled nurses, registered nurses and midwives to complete at least 20 hours of CPD each registration year. The hours must be relevant to the nurse's or midwife's context of practice. Someone registered as both a nurse and a midwife needs 20 hours for each. If you register part-way through the year, the requirement is pro rata.
New Zealand: 60 hours, across three years
The Nursing Council of New Zealand asks for a minimum of 60 hours of professional development over the previous three years as part of its continuing competence requirements, alongside minimum practice hours. Practising certificates are renewed yearly, but the hours are looked at over the three-year window.
What the difference means in practice
- In Australia a quiet year cannot be made up later. Each year stands alone.
- In New Zealand a heavy year of study can carry a lighter one, as long as the three-year total holds.
- In both countries the nurse, not the employer, is accountable for meeting the requirement and keeping the evidence.
In Australia a quiet year cannot be made up later. In New Zealand a heavy year can carry a lighter one.
What counts
Both regulators accept a broad range of activity, including online learning and reading, provided it is relevant to practice and you can show what you learned. Neither regulator approves individual commercial courses, so the quality check falls to the nurse. That is the gap a verification mark is meant to help with.
Sources: NMBA, Understanding CPD for nurses and midwives; Nursing Council of New Zealand, Continuing competence. Checked 05 October 2026.
