Acupuncturists Treats disorders and illnesses by stimulating the body’s defence mechanisms through inserting fine needles into the skin.

Registration or licensing may be required.

Skill Level

1

Unless you are exempt in very limited circumstances, you are required to have a positive Skills Assessment to apply for the visas listed above.

Skills Assessment authority for Acupuncturist is Chinese Medicine Board AHPRA. The Department of Home Affairs will accept the following evidence from the Board as evidence of a suitable skills assessment: Certificate of general registration as an acupuncturist.

To be registered with the Chinese Medicine Board as an acupuncturist, you must meet the following criteria:

• The academic level of your qualification in acupuncture and/or Chinese herbal medicine is comparable to, at a minimum, an Australian Bachelor Degree qualification.
• If you are applying for a single division of registration, your qualification required three years or more of full-time study, or equivalent, in that division – either acupuncture or Chinese herbal medicine
• If you are applying for two divisions of registration, your qualification required a total of four years or more of full-time study, or equivalent, in those divisions.
• Your qualification addresses the following core areas/topics of study:
  • Your qualification addresses the following core areas/topics of study:
    •  
      • Acupuncture needling techniques
      • Anatomy
      • Cell biology
      • Chemistry and biochemistry
      • Classical literature in Chinese medicine
      • Clinical acupuncture studies
      • Diagnostics of Chinese medicine
      • History of Chinese medicine
      • Infection control
      • Introduction to human biosciences
      • Meridians and acupuncture points
      • Microbiology
      • Moxibustion and cupping/other stimulation methods
      • Neurophysiology of acupuncture
      • Pathology
      • Physiology
      • Principles of Chinese medicine
      • Professionalism and evidence-based practice
      • Research methods
      • Safe needling on critical points
• Your qualification was recognised by a statutory registration/licensing body for practice as an acupuncturist in the country where you completed the program of study leading to qualification
• At the time you were awarded your qualification the qualification/program was
  • subject to quality assurance by a body external to the education institution AND
  • recognised or accredited by the external body,AND
  • the quality assurance was based on the following:
•  
  •  
    • published accreditation standards for Chinese medicine education
    • published processes for reviewing programs/providers against the accreditation standards
    • an assessment conducted by an individual or team with appropriate expertise in education and in Chinese medicine practice
    • regular review of the program of study, such as annual reporting or cyclic re-accreditation
• At the time you were awarded your qualification the education institution was registered or authorised to deliver higher education.
• As part of your studies you successfully completed a clinical assessment (or “demonstrated competence in the clinical setting”) in the following areas of acupuncture practice:
  1. professional practice in a legal and ethical framework
  2. professional communication and collaboration
  3. risk management
  4. mastering the use of the Pin Yin system of Romanisation
  5. knowledge of the biomedical and behavioural sciences enabling the practice of Chinese medicine within an inter-professional health care context

treat patients with physical, mental, spiritual and emotional needs by considering the whole person rather than focusing on specific symptoms and by using various therapies, techniques and practices.

Tasks

• assessing patients to determine the nature of the disorder, illness, problem or need by questioning, examining and observing
• developing and implementing treatment plans using applications such as acupuncture, homoeopathic and herbal medicine, and dance, drama, hypnotic and music therapies
• evaluating and documenting patients’ progress through treatment plans
• providing dietary and lifestyle advice and guidelines
• prescribing natural medicines, such as herbal, mineral and animal extracts, to stimulate the body’s capacity for self-healing

Skill Level

Occupations in this unit group have a level of skill commensurate with a bachelor degree or higher qualification (ANZSCO Skill Level 1).

Registration or licensing may be required.

Occupations in this Group

• 252211 Acupuncturist
• 252212 Homoeopath
• 252213 Naturopath
• 252214 Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner
• 252215 Traditional Maori Health Practitioner
• 252299 Complementary Health Therapists nec