Taking charge of a clinical shift on a ward is daunting for newly qualified staff nurses. This article describes the co-ordinators competency pathway, written to guide and assess band 5 ward nurses, and a co-ordinators development day, which is a simulation-based training day developed by a team of senior nurses to prepare band 5 nurses to become competent children’s ward co-ordinators. Each of two groups – of either experienced or less experienced band 5s – starts with the training day as a base for either 12 or 18 months of in-work training that follow. A new job description matching the trust’s workforce reorganisation enabled this development of the band 5 nurse’s role. A service evaluation has found staff are more competent and confident as a result of this initiative.