New healthcare systems research examining the healthcare ethics and ethical dilemmas of Australian health professionals working in Nauru's offshore detention system could not be timelier. Where health professionals come inHealth professionals occupy a unique position in this debate. Australian health professional registration codes of ethics and conduct require them to advocate for patients, protect human rights and speak up when care is compromised. First, participants described a fundamental conflict between the values underpinning Australian health professional practice and those of the healthcare delivery system operating within Nauru. Health contractors (employers) in Nauru were self-regulated; however, healthcare professionals remained bound to Australian health professional registration standards.