An evaluative study into the effectiveness of level 3 National Vocational Qualification support staff to nurses

A trial development of experienced nursing auxiliaries using the level 3 National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) awards in care commenced in 1993 as part of an evaluative study to consider the implications and potential benefits of this initiative for an acute National Health Service Trust. Two small cohorts (n = 17) undertook development programmes. With the first candidates gaining the award in 1995, an evaluative study was undertaken to assess the quality of care delivered by these staff. Using a modification of the Qualpac assessment tool, trained observers compared the quality of care delivered by the NVQ workers with that delivered by different grades of nurses in three specialist areas: medicine, general surgery and elderly care. The findings reveal that the NVQ-prepared staff performed considerably better than conventional nursing auxiliaries, and in many cases, outperformed qualified nurses in terms of quality of care. The study compares results across a range of nursing skills and discusses the possible implications.