Royal College of Nursing - Definition and Overview

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is a membership organisation with over 370,000 nurse members in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1916.

The RCN describes its mission as representing nurses and nursing, promoting excellence in practice and shaping health policies. It has a network of stewards and health and safety representatives and advice services for members. Services include a main library in London and regional libraries around the country. The RCN Institute also provides courses for nurses.

The RCN's mission

The RCN represents nurses and nursing, promotes excellence in practice and shapes health policies

To deliver their mission they aim to:

Represent

• the interests of nurses and nursing and be their voice locally, nationally and internationally.

Influence

• and lobby governments and others to develop and implement policy that improves the quality of patient care, and builds on the importance of nurses, health care assistants and nursing students to health outcomes.

Support and protect

• the value of nurses and nursing staff in all their diversity
• their terms and conditions of employment in all employment sectors
• the interests of nurses professionally.

Develop

• and educate nurses professionally and academically, building our resource of professional expertise and leadership
• the science and art of nursing and its professional practice.

Build

• a sustainable, member led, organisation with the capacity to deliver our mission effectively, efficiently and in accordance with our values
• the systems, attitudes and resources to offer the best possible support and development to our staff.

External Link

• Royal College of Nursing (http://www.rcn.org.uk/)