am a Health Care Assistant and I am accountable for my practice I am a Health Care Support Worker and I am accountable for my practice Amanda Palmer Health Care Support Worker ABM Trust, Women’s Health Unit. Introduction : Through the knowledge I have gained about nursing practice, roles and responsibilities, I have a new insight into my own accountability and what my duty of care is to my patients and their carer’s. This has been clarified for me by the introduction of a Code of Conduct for Healthcare Workers, “This national Code of Conduct for Wales will help to ensure service users and the public receive a consistent, high-quality, safe and effective service from Healthcare Workers “ (WAG, 2011). I did not consider that I could be held accountable for my practice because I am not a professional although I was aware that I am accountable to my employer through employment law. The new Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers has helped to define roles identify responsibilities for unqualified Health Care Workers in Wales. The Certificate of Higher Education in Health Care studies has prompted me to re-evaluate my delivery of care and given me the underpinning knowledge of why nursing actions are taken and how this affects me. As the Code states Health Care Support Workers must “Be accountable by making sure you can always answer for your actions or omissions” (WAG, 2011). As the Royal College of Nursing summaries “Health care assistants undertaking a caring task are accountable on the basis that they have the competence to do the task” (RCN, 2008). My accountability in my nursing practice Education Fully trained In venepuncture procedure. Adhering to policies protocols relating to phlebotomy. The importance of handwritten bottles for group and save samples. Blood bank procedures. Education Mandatory training; Manual handling. Violence and aggression. CPR. Updating clinical skills Fire Warden training. Infection Control. Practice Use of hoist. Universal safety precautions. Fire Warden duties Perform competently. Chaperoning. Education RCN guidelines on record keeping In house training on how and where to document in a patient’s notes. Confidentiality awareness. Practice Accurate documentation. Legible writing No abbreviations. Date and time recorded. Written at the time. Full name not initials. Record KeepingPhlebotomy Accountability means to be responsible and answerable for your actions or omissions. References: Welsh Assembly Government (2011) Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers. Welsh Assembly Government RCN (Royal College of Nursing): Accountability and Delegation; What you need to know. (accessed on 10/05/2011) RCN (Royal College of Nursing): Health care assistants and assistant practitioners. Delegation and Accountability; Stokes, J., Wardens, A (2004) The changing role of the healthcare assistant. Nursing Standard. 18, 51, Welsh Assembly Government (2010) All Wales Guide for Delegation. National Leadership and Innovation Agency for Health (NLIAH), NHS Wales. (accessed on 03/05/2011). Student I.D Practice Confirmation of the patient’s correct details. Accurate labelling of samples. Using the correct bottles for blood tests. Bottles not out of date.