Nurse aide education is an issue that governmental and health care agencies are addressing. Nurse aides are employed in numerous and varied health care agencies, such as hospitals, nursing homes, physician's offices, and private homes. Although there are no educational requirements for nurse aides in Illinois, there are a number of formal training programs being conducted in proprietary schools, hospitals, and nursing homes. However, numerous nurse aides begin work, particularly in long-term facilities, with no pre-employment training. Between November, 1977, and January, 1978, three meetings involving several agencies in Illinois were held to discuss nurse aide education. Common concerns, such as the excessive annual turnover for nurse aides, were discussed at the first meeting, while the second focused on an assessment of what each agency was doing in relation to nurse aide education. During the third meeting, a number of nurse aide education materials were viewed. It was decided that a core curriculum approach to nurse aide education was desirable and legislation was needed to require pre-employment training for nurse aides. A sub-committee volunteered to write a position paper to serve as the basis for drafting legislation. (The sub-committee's three conclusions and recommendations are attached.) (EM)