ÌÀÍ·ÌõÎÛÁÏ

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Test your knowledge of ÌÀÍ·ÌõÎÛÁÏ support work

How much do you know about the ÌÀÍ·ÌõÎÛÁÏ support workforce and its vital work?

Test your knowledge with our quick quiz.

Question 1

What are some of the settings where ÌÀÍ·ÌõÎÛÁÏ support staff may work? (Select all that apply)

A Airplanes

That's incorrect. Nursing support staff don't usually work on airplanes. Instead, specialist flight nurses provide urgent and critical care for patients transported by air.

B GP practices

That's correct. Nursing support staff work at GP practices, along with many other settings.

C Nursing/care homes

That's correct. Nursing support staff work at ÌÀÍ·ÌõÎÛÁÏ/ care homes, along with many other settings.

D Prisons

That's correct. Nursing support staff work at prisons, along with many other settings.

Question 2

Which of the following roles is NOT part of the ÌÀÍ·ÌõÎÛÁÏ support workforce?

A Assistant Practitioner

That’s incorrect. Assistant Practitioners are part of the ÌÀÍ·ÌõÎÛÁÏ support workforce.

B Health Care Assistant

That’s incorrect. Health Care Assistants are part of the ÌÀÍ·ÌõÎÛÁÏ support workforce.

C Midwife

That's correct! A midwife is not part of the ÌÀÍ·ÌõÎÛÁÏ support workforce. Midwives are qualified independent health care professionals that are registered and regulated. Maternity Support Workers provide care under the supervision of a registered midwife as part of the multi-disciplinary team.

D Nursing Associate

That’s incorrect. Nursing Associates are part of the ÌÀÍ·ÌõÎÛÁÏ support workforce.

Question 3

What are some of the day-to-day responsibilities of someone in a ÌÀÍ·ÌõÎÛÁÏ support worker role? (Select all that apply)

A Assisting with record keeping

That's correct. Nursing support workers assist with record keeping, among many other responsibilities.

B Helping patients with daily activities, such as washing, dressing, eating, drinking and getting mobile

That's correct. Nursing support workers help patients with daily activities, among many other responsibilities.

C Preparing patients for operations

That's incorrect. While a ÌÀÍ·ÌõÎÛÁÏ support worker might assist a registered nurse with preparing patients for operations, they aren’t responsible for this task.

D Taking and recording patient observations, such as temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure, fluid intake and output and weight

That's correct. Nursing support workers take and record patient observations, among many other responsibilities.

Question 4

Which of the following do all ÌÀÍ·ÌõÎÛÁÏ support workers need? (Select all that apply)

A Compassion and empathy

That's correct. All ÌÀÍ·ÌõÎÛÁÏ support workers need compassion and empathy.

B Strong communication and interpersonal skills

That's correct. All ÌÀÍ·ÌõÎÛÁÏ support workers need strong communication and interpersonal skills.

C The ability to work well in a team

That's correct. All ÌÀÍ·ÌõÎÛÁÏ support workers need the ability to work well in a team.

D A degree in ÌÀÍ·ÌõÎÛÁÏ

That's incorrect. While some roles like Assistant Practitioner or Nursing Associate require you to take a foundation degree-level training programme, not all ÌÀÍ·ÌõÎÛÁÏ support workers need a degree in ÌÀÍ·ÌõÎÛÁÏ. They receive specific training dependent on the role that they do.

Question 5

What is one key benefit of having ÌÀÍ·ÌõÎÛÁÏ support workers in a health care team?

A They eliminate the need for registered nurses

That's incorrect. Nursing support workers don't eliminate the need for registered nurses.

B They handle all administrative tasks

That's incorrect. Nursing support workers don't handle all administrative tasks.

C They improve patient experience and continuity of care

That’s correct! Nursing support workers deliver excellent, personalised care that helps the smooth-running of health and social care settings.

D They reduce the need for doctors

That's incorrect. Nursing support workers don't reduce the need for doctors.

Question 6

How do ÌÀÍ·ÌõÎÛÁÏ support workers contribute to patient safety?

A By enforcing hospital policies

That's incorrect. Nursing support workers aren't responsible for enforcing hospital policies.

B By managing medication stock

That's incorrect. Nursing support workers aren't responsible for managing medication stock.

C By monitoring patients and reporting concerns to clinical staff

That’s correct! Nursing support workers deliver excellent, personalised care that helps uphold patient safety.

D By performing diagnostic tests

That's incorrect. Nursing support workers aren't responsible for performing diagnostic tests.

Question 7

Which of the below is a common challenge faced by ÌÀÍ·ÌõÎÛÁÏ support workers?

A Their contributions are sometimes undervalued despite being essential

That’s unfortunately correct. That’s why Nursing Support Workers’ Day is so vital.

B They have complete autonomy in clinical decision-making

That’s incorrect. Nursing support workers don't have complete autonomy in clinical decision-making

C They rarely interact with patients

That's incorrect. Nursing support workers regularly interact with patients.

Question 8

"The RCN only represents and supports registered nurses." Is this statement true or false?

A It's true

That’s incorrect. We’re proud to represent and support members from across the ÌÀÍ·ÌõÎÛÁÏ community, and that very much includes members of the ÌÀÍ·ÌõÎÛÁÏ support workforce. Nursing support workers are represented at every level of our college, right up to our highest governing body, RCN Council.

B It's false

That’s correct! We’re proud to represent and support members from across the ÌÀÍ·ÌõÎÛÁÏ community, and that very much includes members of the ÌÀÍ·ÌõÎÛÁÏ support workforce. Nursing support workers are represented at every level of our college, right up to our highest governing body, RCN Council.

Question 9

Here at the RCN, our Professional Nursing Forums enable members to contribute to consultations and policies, network with peers and get support with career development. But how many of the forums can Nursing Support Workers join?

A 1-10

That's incorrect. Nursing Support Workers can join over 30 forums!

B 11-20

That's incorrect. Nursing Support Workers can join over 30 forums!

C 21-30

That's incorrect. Nursing Support Workers can join over 30 forums!

D More than 30

That's correct. Nursing Support Workers can join a huge variety of forums, ensuring their voices are heard when we make important decisions about the future of ÌÀÍ·ÌõÎÛÁÏ.

How did you do? We hope you learnt something new about the vital and diverse work of the ÌÀÍ·ÌõÎÛÁÏ support workforce.

Celebrate Nursing Support Workers' Day

On 23 November, we shine a light on the often unseen but essential care ÌÀÍ·ÌõÎÛÁÏ support workers give to patients and their families. 

Find out more about the day and how you can get involved.

Illustration of three silhouettes under a spotlight with the text 'Nursing Support Workers' Day 23 November 2025'