Evaluation of a health care assistant pilot programme.

Health Care Assistants (HCAs) were piloted in four wards of a large teaching hospital in Hong Kong. Evaluation of this pilot programme was based on patients' and nurses' satisfaction with HCAs, the HCAs' job satisfaction, and the retention rate of HCAs. Data were collected at 3 and 6-months following the introduction of HCAs to ascertain the level of satisfaction and the rate of HCA retention. Overall, the HCAs' work was seen as satisfactory and contributing to the work being carried out on each ward. Both nurses and patients were highly satisfied with HCA's, the mean total levels of satisfaction by nurses being 97 out of a possible range of 26-104 and for patients 53 out of a possible range of 14-56. While there was a high level of nurses' approval of introducing HCAs into the health care team there were significant differences (P < 0.05) with Nursing Officer, followed by Ward Managers being more in agreement than Registered Nurses. There were eight HCA activities seen by more than 70% of nurses to have been carried out frequently. The mean total job satisfaction of HCAs was 67 out of a possible 17-95. Although the 50% retention rate of HCAs was poor, there was overall satisfaction with the work of the HCAs.