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HCAs, APs and SNAs

Use this guide to find information resources related to healthcare assistants, nursing support workers, assistant practitioners and student nursing associates including books, reports and journal articles.

Last updated: 26/09/2025

Key Resources

RCN: First steps for healthcare assistants
  • First Steps is the RCN’s most popular free e-learning tool for health care assistants. It’s a perfect resource to dip in and out of, whether you’re new to the post or looking to refresh your knowledge and skills.
    View page
RCN: Accountability and delegation
Royal College of Nursing and Health Education England: Careers resource for nursing support workers.
  • This resource aims to help you to understand the development and career opportunities available for the nursing support workforce across health and social care.
    View page
Royal College of Nursing (2019) Health care support workers administering inactivated influenza, shingles and pneumococcal vaccines, for adults and live attenuated influenza vaccine (laiv) for children. RCN guidance. London: RCN.

England

Royal College of Nursing (2019) The role of nursing associates in vaccination and immunisation. Position statement. London: RCN.
Nursing and Midwifery Council (2018) Standards of proficiency for nursing associates. London: NMC.
Nursing and Midwifery Council (2018) The Code: professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses, midwives and nursing associates. London: NMC.
Skills for Health: The Care Certificate

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland Practice and Education Council for Nursing and Midwifery (2019) deciding to delegate: a decision support framework for nursing and midwifery.

Scotland

NHS Education for Scotland (2023) Framework for the administration of medicines by level 3 and level 4 healthcare support workers in Scotland.
NHS Education for Scotland (2024) Making delegation safe and effective: a learning resource for nurses, midwives, allied health professionals and health care support workers.
NHS Education for Scotland (no date) Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions Development Framework.
NHS Education for Scotland: Healthcare support workers (HCSWS)

Social care (Scotland)

Care Inspectorate (2012) Guidance about medication personal plans, review, monitoring and record keeping in residential care services.
Care Inspectorate (2018) Prompting, assisting and administration of medication in a care setting: guidance for professionals.
Scottish Government (2015) Clinical and care governance framework: guidance.
Scottish Social Services Council (2024) Codes of practice.

Wales

Health Education and Improvement Wales (no date) All Wales guidelines for delegation.

Books

Book cover Flaherty C (2022) Practice-based learning for nursing associates. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Book cover Griffin R (2023) Healthcare support workers: a practical guide for training and development. London: Routledge.
Book Cover Flaherty C and Taylor M (2024) Developing academic skills for nursing associates. Thousand Oaks: Learning Matters.
Book Cover Harris M (2021) Understanding person-centred care for nursing associates. Thousand Oaks: Learning Matters.
Book cover Peate I (2021) The nursing associate at a glance. Hoboken: Wiley Blackwell.
Book Cover Peate I (eds.)  (2021) The nursing associate's handbook of clinical skills. Hoboken: Wiley Blackwell.
Book Cover Peate I (2025) Learning to care: the nursing associate. 2nd edn. Edinburgh: Elsevier.
Book Cover Peate I (2017) Fundamentals of care: a textbook for health and social care assistants. Chichester: Wiley Blackwell.
Book Cover Rawles Z (2025) Essential knowledge and skills for healthcare assistants. 3rd edn. Abingdon: Routledge.
Book Cover Roulston C and Davies M (2024) Medicines management for nursing associates. Thousand Oaks: Learning Matters.
Book cover Rowe G (2022) Health promotion for nursing associates. Thousand Oaks: SAGE.
Book Cover Rowe G, and others (2023) The handbook for nursing associates and assistant practitioners. 3rd edn. Los Angeles: Sage.
Book Cover Whelan A and Hughes E (2016) Clinical skills for healthcare assistants and assistant practitioners. 2nd edn. Chichester: Wiley Blackwell.

Book subject searches

Use these links to see details of books the RCN libraries hold on each topic.

Journal articles

Use these links for details of journal articles on each topic.

Journals

Journals of interest for healthcare assistants and assistant practitioners.

Exhibitions

Several health care support workers Shining a Light: A history of nursing support work
  • This exhibiion uncovers the long history of nursing support workers and celebrates the contribution that they continue to make today – in hospital wards, care homes, clinics and communities.
    View online exhibition

Videos

NMC (2020) Let's talk about delegation. Caring with confidence: The Code in action.

This subject guide relates to:

Learning resources for healthcare assistants and assistant practitioners
Become a nursing associate
RCN library staff

Caroline Lynch

Editor of this guide

RCN Library and Museum

Upcoming events relating to this subject guide

  • 12 Nov 2025 Online

    Nurse workplace resilience: a top priority webinar

    This interactive webinar session will explore the meaning of resilience to you, an opportunity for you to reflect on your personal and external resources to promote your own resilience, and who you work with, for the benefit of all. As well as some stress management strategies. Suitable for all roles in the nursing team, working in any sector. This event is organised by RCN Wales, but you do not need to be based in Wales to join us!

  • 22 Nov 2025 London

    RCN Nursing Support Workers Conference 2025

    Join us to celebrate Nursing Support Workers’ Day at our annual conference for Nursing Support Workers, taking place at RCN HQ in London.

  • RCN Wales Health Care Support Worker Conference graphic 26 Nov 2025 Cardiff

    RCN Wales Health Care Support Worker Conference 2025

    Bookings now open for the RCN Wales Health Care Support Worker Conference 2025. Join us for a day of reflection and celebration, focussing on the contribution of Health Care Support Workers across Wales.

  • RCN Nursing Support Workers' Day logo with LV= logo in top right hand corner 27 Nov 2025

    Accepting delegated tasks

    This free webinar is for nursing support worker members in celebrating of Nursing Support Workers' Day 2025.

  • 02 Dec 2025 Online

    RCN Wales Roundtable for the Independent Sector - virtual

    RCN Wales will be hosting an online roundtable for nursing staff working in the independent health and social care sector, on ‘Leadership, Learning and Future Directions: Reflections from Independent Health and Social Care.' This event will also provide an opportunity to network with other colleagues based within the Independent Sector to share stories and your unique experiences of working in Wales. This event is open to both RCN members and non-members who work in Wales in the Independent Health and Social Care sector.

  • Education event for NSWs 02 Dec 2025 Aberdeen

    Grampian nursing support worker education event (Aberdeen Royal Infirmary)

    RCN Scotland is delivering free education sessions for all those working in support roles in nursing at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Grampian.

  • Record keeping scrabble letters 11 Dec 2025 Online

    Record Keeping webinar

    This online webinar aims to reflect on how good record keeping supports health care practice and quality of care, describe expectations and standards for record keeping, and highlight resources to support good record keeping practice. This event is suitable for all members of the nursing team: registered nurses, Health Care Support Workers/ Health Care Assistants, and nursing students working in the NHS or Independent Health & Social Care Sector. Organised by RCN Wales, but you don't have to be based in Wales to join us!

  • Compassionate Leadership programme graphic 04 Feb 2026 - 11 Feb 2026 Online

    Compassionate Leadership programme

    Study this online programme to understand how Compassionate leadership enables everyone to feel valued, included and encouraged, so they can reach their full potential and do their best at work. 2 days of taught sessions plus self-directed learning and an assessment. Successful completion of the unit will gain you 2 academic credits at Level 3, accredited by Agored Cymru.

  • 05 Feb 2026 Online

    Introduction to Leadership webinar

    This webinar aims to raise awareness of leadership in healthcare. Understand the benefits of emotional intelligence and self-awareness in leadership. To explore the concept of resilience and its relevance in leadership. Highlight skills to improve wellbeing to make a difference in the workplace and have fun learning! This is valuable for both the independent health and social care sector and the NHS. This event is organised by RCN Wales, but you do not need to be based in Wales to join us!

  • 17 Mar 2026 Online

    Addressing health inequalities for people with dementia webinar

    This webinar will focus on the needs of people presenting with dementia from marginalised groups and how health care professionals from the nursing team can better help and support them. Suitable for all roles in the nursing team, for those working in any sector. This event is organised by RCN Wales, but you do not need to be based in Wales to join us!

Page last updated - 26/09/2025

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