Royal College of Nursing

Represent

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

Influence

• 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

• 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.

How does your organisation contribute to preventing suicide and supporting those affected by it?

Clearly as a membership organisation with 420,000 members we have the potential to influence the delivery of care in this area. We have worked as part of the Advisory group to the suicide prevention strategy to encourage the sharing of information with carers and families and contributed to the intercollegiate statement to support that aim.

What are your current priorities?

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.

What challenges are you currently facing?

Educate nurses professionally and academically, building our resource of professional expertise and leadership