title: Preparing health care assistants.
abstract: In the fourth part of this series on issues in ward management facing charge nurses, Sheila Mackie Bailey looks at the charge nurse's role in preparing and educating the health care assistant or support worker. The imminent adjustment of student nurses' clinical status makes the development of a skilled and educated assistant for the trained nurse an urgent necessity. Of all those involved in defining and delimiting this role, the charge nurse assumes the key responsibility, but it is a responsibility which requires proper preparation and support before it can be adequately exercised.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Bailey
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007587:Job Description; D009728:Nursing Assistants / Q000193:education* / Q000592:standards / Q000600:supply & distribution; D009745:Nursing, Supervisory / Q000379:methods*