The term frail is commonly used to describe older people, but reports on the care of older adults in hospital highlight that the clinical implications of frailty are not understood fully by all nurses. Frailty can be an indicator of older people's health status and healthcare needs. An understanding of frailty and its mechanisms will help nurses to determine care priorities, particularly the urgency for anticipatory, proactive, preventive and compensatory care to prevent unnecessary mortality and morbidity. This article discusses the significance of frailty in older people's nursing. It highlights the responsibility of registered nurses to recognise deterioration in health as a result of frailty and to implement appropriate interventions.