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Professional Ethics Course

Core Principles, Professionalism, and Ethical Practice in Healthcare

  • About 2 hours estimated learning time
  • 5 sections, 18 lessons
  • Checkpoints and a 15-question final assessment
  • Online, self-paced, any device

About this course

This course examines the ethics that underpin safe, fair and compassionate healthcare. It works through the four core principles of beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy and justice, the components of professionalism, the causes and consequences of ethical breaches, and the reflection and remediation needed to put things right and rebuild trust.

A distinctive feature of the course is that it sets each principle alongside what the main UK healthcare regulators actually expect. Doctors, dentists and dental care professionals, nurses and midwives, allied health professionals and pharmacists are regulated by different bodies with differently worded standards, but the ethical core is strikingly similar. Seeing the standards side by side helps every professional understand their own duties more clearly and work better with colleagues from other professions. The course is designed for all UK healthcare professionals, including those facing an investigation or fitness to practise process.

CPD Value and How to Record It

This course is designed to provide approximately 2 hours of learning, including reading, the reflection points, the reflective account and the assessment. In the UK, CPD is generally recorded as the time actually spent learning, so you should record the time you genuinely spend, which may be more or less than the estimate.

How the course fits your revalidation or CPD requirements depends on your regulator. For example, the NMC asks nurses, midwives and nursing associates to record 35 hours of CPD over three years, of which at least 20 must be participatory; self-directed online learning such as this course usually counts as individual learning unless you complete it with others. The GMC expects doctors to reflect on CPD for appraisal and revalidation rather than setting a fixed number of hours. The HCPC, GDC, GPhC, GOC, GOsC and GCC each set their own CPD requirements, so check the current rules that apply to you. Always keep your certificate together with your written reflection.

What you will learn

  • Understand the importance of professional ethics in healthcare.
  • Explore the core ethical principles: beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy and justice.
  • Identify the key components of professionalism, such as integrity, honesty, accountability, compassion and professional boundaries.
  • Recognise the causes of breaches of professional ethics.
  • Understand the consequences of ethical breaches for patients, professionals and the healthcare system.
  • Learn how to reflect on and address ethical breaches effectively.
  • Explore strategies for remediation and rebuilding trust after a breach.
  • Align practice with regulatory guidance and professional standards.

Who it is for

All UK healthcare professionals, including those preparing for revalidation or renewal and those facing an investigation or fitness to practise process

Standards and law covered

GMC Good medical practice (2024); GDC Standards for the Dental Team; NMC Code; HCPC Standards of conduct, performance and ethics (2024); GPhC Standards for pharmacy professionals; related law

Course content

Lessons open one after another as you work through the course. They unlock once you enrol.

1Introduction to Professional Ethics2 lessons
  • 1.1 What Professional Ethics Means
  • 1.2 Why Professional Ethics Matters in Healthcare
  • 1.3 Key Points and Knowledge Check: Section 1
2Core Principles of Ethics7 lessons
  • 2.1 Beneficence: Acting in the Patient's Best Interest
  • 2.2 Non-Maleficence: Preventing Harm
  • 2.3 Guidance & Standards by Healthcare Regulatory Bodies related to Beneficence and Non-Maleficence
  • 2.4 Respecting the Decisions Patients Make
  • 2.4 Guidance & Standards by Healthcare Regulatory Bodies related to Autonomy
  • 2.5 Justice: Fair and Equitable Care
  • 2.6 Guidance & Standards by Healthcare Regulatory Bodies related to Justice
  • 2.7 Key Points and Knowledge Check: Section 2
3Salient Components of Professionalism2 lessons
  • 3.1 The Building Blocks of Professionalism
  • 3.2 Regulatory Standards on Professionalism
  • 3.3 Summary Points and Quiz for Section 3
4Breaches of Professional Ethics3 lessons
  • 4.1 Examples of Breaches of Professional Ethics
  • 4.2 Why Breaches Occur
  • 4.3 The Consequences of Breaches
  • 4.4 Summary Points and Quiz for Section 4
5Addressing a Breach of Professional Ethics – Reflection and Remediation3 lessons
  • 5.1 Gaining Insight into the Breach
  • 5.2 The Role of Reflection
  • 5.3 Putting Breaches Right
  • 5.4 Summary Points and Quiz for Section 5
6Conclusions and Takeaways1 lesson
  • 6.1 Bringing It Together: Key Messages
Reflection and final assessment3 steps
  • Your reflective account
  • Final assessment: 15 questions, 80% to pass
  • Certificate of completion
2 hours

Estimated learning time

This covers the lessons, section checkpoints, your reflective account and the final assessment. Everyone works at a different pace, so record the time you actually spend in your CPD log. The player shows the time you have spent in the course to help you.

Your certificate of completion

When you pass the final assessment you can download a certificate showing your name, the course title, the estimated learning time, your completion date and a certificate number that anyone can check on this website. Keep it with your reflective account in your CPD records.

Questions about this course

How long does the course take?

The estimated learning time is about 2 hours, including the lessons, section checkpoints, your reflective account and the final assessment. People work at different speeds, so record the time you actually spend in your own CPD log.

How do I access the course after buying it?

Log in to your FTP Courses account and open the course from My Courses. The course runs in your web browser on a computer, tablet or phone, and your progress is saved to your account so you can stop and continue later.

How is the course assessed?

Each section ends with a short checkpoint. At the end there is a final assessment of 15 questions; you need 80% (12 correct) to pass. If you do not pass, you can review the course and try again after a short wait.

What do I receive when I finish?

You can download a certificate of completion showing your name, the course title, the estimated learning time, your completion date and a certificate number that can be checked online. You can also download your reflective account for your CPD portfolio.

Is this course linked to my regulator?

No. FTP Courses is an independent education provider and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any UK regulator. The course is CPD-aligned: it is written to help you learn and reflect against your regulator's published standards, and on completion you receive a certificate of completion stating the estimated learning time. Record the time you actually spend in your own CPD log, and decide how the course fits your CPD or any remediation plan, ideally with advice from your defence organisation, union or legal adviser.

Will completing the course guarantee a particular outcome in a complaint or investigation?

No course can guarantee an outcome. Decision-makers look at genuine insight, reflection and sustained change in your practice. The course is designed to support that learning; it does not replace it.