A study of the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Nurse Aide (NA), and Homemaker-Home Health Aide (H-HHA) occupations was conducted during 1972-73 in Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Questionnaires were administered to 600 LPNs, NAs, and H-HHAs in 30 health facilities who rated the frequency and importance of 346 tasks. Usable questionnaires numbered 492. A representative sample of employers also rated the tasks for each job title. The data revealed considerable task overlap between job titles and between patient care settings, and much agreement between job titles concerning the frequency and importance of task performance. On this basis, the study constructed an outline for an experience based core curriculum containing four modular units of instruction and organized to provide exit points for various job titles leading up to the LPN level. The study also developed a model for community-wide involvement in aide education and utilization to maximize the career mobility and effective use of aides. Appendixes comprising 125 pages provide: a brief glossary; an inventory of hospitals, nursing homes, and providers of home health care in the Metropolitan Washington area; the employer and employee task inventory questionnaires; data cross-tabulations by patient-care setting, shift, education, and years of experience; and a bibliography. (JR)