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.
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RCN: Accountability and delegation

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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.
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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.

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Royal College of Nursing (2025) Newly registered nursing associate guide (England only). London: RCN.

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Royal College of Nursing (2024) RCN position statement on nursing associates (NAs) training in cervical screening (England only). London: RCN.

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Nursing and Midwifery Council (2018) Standards of proficiency for nursing associates. London: NMC.

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Nursing and Midwifery Council (2018) The Code: professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses, midwives and nursing associates. London: NMC.

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• Read The Code online

Skills for Health: The Care Certificate

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

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NHS Education for Scotland (2023) Framework for the administration of medicines by level 3 and level 4 healthcare support workers in Scotland.

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NHS Education for Scotland (2024) Making delegation safe and effective: a learning resource for nurses, midwives, allied health professionals and health care support workers.

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NHS Education for Scotland (no date) Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions Development Framework.

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NHS Education for Scotland: Healthcare support workers (HCSWS)

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Social care (Scotland)

Scottish Government (2015) Clinical and care governance framework: guidance.

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Scottish Social Services Council (2024) Codes of practice.

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

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Aldred K (2025) Personal and professional development for nursing associates. London: Learning Matters.

• Access through RCN library

Coulson A (eds.) (2025) The nursing associate: stepping into practice. Bognor Regis: Wiley.

• Access through RCN library

Cowls H and Tobin S (2025) Assessing, planning and monitoring care for nursing associates. London: Learning Matters.

• Access through RCN library

Flaherty C (2022) Practice-based learning for nursing associates. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

• Access through RCN Library

Flaherty C and Taylor M (2024) Developing academic skills for nursing associates. Thousand Oaks: Learning Matters.

• Access through RCN Library

Griffin R (2023) Healthcare support workers: a practical guide for training and development. London: Routledge.

• Access through RCN Library

Harris M (2025) Understanding person-centred care for nursing associates. 2nd edn. Thousand Oaks: Learning Matters.

• Access through RCN Library

Peate I (2021) The nursing associate at a glance. Hoboken: Wiley Blackwell.

• Access through RCN Library

Peate I (eds.)  (2021) The nursing associate's handbook of clinical skills. Hoboken: Wiley Blackwell.

• Access through RCN Library

Peate I (2025) Learning to care: the nursing associate. 2nd edn. Edinburgh: Elsevier.

• Access through RCN Library

Peate I (2017) Fundamentals of care: a textbook for health and social care assistants. Chichester: Wiley Blackwell.

• Access through RCN Library

Rawles Z (2026) Essential knowledge and skills for healthcare assistants. 3rd edn. Abingdon: Routledge.

• Access through RCN Library

Roulston C and Davies M (2024) Medicines management for nursing associates. 2nd edn. Thousand Oaks: Learning Matters.

• Access through RCN Library

Rowe G (2025) Health promotion for nursing associates. 2nd edn. Thousand Oaks: Learning Matters.

• Access through RCN Library

Rowe G, and others (2023) The handbook for nursing associates and assistant practitioners. 3rd edn. Los Angeles: Sage.

• Access through RCN Library

Whelan A and Hughes E (2016) Clinical skills for healthcare assistants and assistant practitioners. 2nd edn. Chichester: Wiley Blackwell.

• Access through RCN Library

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

• Assistant practitioners
• Healthcare assistants
• Nursing associates

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

• Assistant practitioners
• Healthcare assistants
• Nursing associates

Journals of interest for healthcare assistants and assistant practitioners.

• British Journal of Healthcare Assistants
• RCN Magazine

Shining a Light: A history of nursing support work

• This exhibition 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.
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