Health Care Assistants and Assistant Practitioners

Health Care Assistants (HCAs) and Assistant Practitioners (APs) are hugely valued members of the RCN and the nursing team. The RCN South West region has created this page to keep our HCA and AP members up-to-date with what’s going on in the region, and what the RCN is doing for you.

Continuing Professional Development events

The RCN South West region is running a series of free learning events for health care professionals throughout 2013. There are two events still to take place for Health Care Assistants and Assistant Practitioners, on 3 July 2013 in Exeter and 5 November 2013 in Cornwall. 
 
The events will be based on This is Nursing and explore good practice and the barriers HCAs and APs face in trying to deliver high quality dignified care.

For more information and to book your place, please visit our Continuing Professional Development events page.

The RCN Health Care Assistant and Assistant Practitioner Network

The RCN HCA and AP Network gives you the opportunity to share best practice, get local news updates, debate current issues, and to get your opinions heard. The network is free for RCN members to join, and gives you access to a group of like-minded HCA and AP colleagues, HCA and AP specific events throughout the year, and a dedicated project group member who will ensure your views and opinions are heard by the national RCN HCA team.

You can join the HCA and AP network online or by downloading the HCA and AP joining postcard (PDF 339KB) [see how to access PDF files].

Francis report

The independent inquiry conducted by Robert Francis QC into the care provided at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust has implications for HCAs and APs.

RCN Health Care Assistant Adviser Tanis Hand looks at key themes affecting support workers in health care post-Francis here.

Become an RCN representative

Have you thought about becoming an accredited local RCN representative? You could increase, develop or improve your personal and professional skills. You could make a real difference to your patients, the working lives of yourself and your colleagues – and even the future of nursing care.

The RCN South West region currently has a number of opportunities for HCA and AP members who would like to develop their careers further by becoming RCN representatives.

Register your initial interest by filling out the form Your chance to make a difference- becoming an RCN representative (PDF 1.6MB). Please send this to: Royal College of Nursing South West region, 3 Capital Court, Bittern Road, Sowton Industrial Estate, Exeter, EX2 7FW.