Membership appendices

Appendix 1: Membership terms and conditions working group

  • Karen Wells, RCN Council Member
  • Janet Davies, Executive Director Nursing and Service Delivery
  • Chris Cox, Assistant Director Legal Services
  • Carolyn Munton, Head of Marketing, Communications and Business
  • Kevin Hasler, Director, RCN Direct
  • Simon Hiscocks, Membership Manager, RCN Direct.

Appendix 2: Benefits and services of membership

This appendix describes a summary of the main services and benefits of RCN membership available to full members. You should see individual membership category pages to see where the key privileges may vary.

Further information and detail is also available in the "RCN Members Handbook".

  • £3 million indemnity scheme with world-wide cover for public liability and malpractice (except US or Canada). Indemnity is not a benefit of associate non-practising or retired membership
  • employment relations support
  • local support and networking through the network of RCN branches and regional/board offices
  • legal assistance
  • RCN Bulletin (published fortnightly)
  • RCN Members Handbook (updated version provided each year at renewal)
  • RCN diary (issued in autumn each year)
  • access to membership of national forums
  • eligibility to vote in branch, forum, council and presidential elections
  • eligibility to stand for office in branch, forum, national and regional board, council and presidential elections
  • access to the member only area of the RCN's website including the Discussion Zone, full text journals, BNI, the Learning Zone and more.
  • access to RCN Direct: information and advice service, 8:30am - 8:30pm, 365 days a year plus membership queries, 8:30am - 8:30pm Monday to Friday excluding bank holidays
  • access to the RCN counselling, careers and welfare services
  • access to all RCN libraries and resource centres
  • access to a range of financial services and benefits through RCN Membership Services
  • discounted rates on the portfolio RCN Publishing 'paid for' journals including the Nursing Standard
  • discounted or free rates for attendance at RCN organised conferences and events.

Appendix 3: criteria for HCSW membership

The criteria for HCSW membership has widened. See the Health care support worker page for more detail. 

Appendix 4: calculation of linked membership rates

A number of membership category subscription rates are linked to the full member rate. These are:

  • full newly qualified at one half of the full member rate
  • full concessionary at three quarters of the full member rate
  • associate non-practising at one quarter of the full member rate
  • associate career break at one half of the full member rate
  • health care support worker full at one half of the full member rate
  • health care support worker concessionary at one half of the full health care support worker rate
  • joint RCN/RCM at one half of the full member rate
  • joint UCU/EIS membership at three quarters of the full member rate.

Appendix 5: glossary of key terms

Admit date: the date at which a member is admitted into RCN membership is normally the date at which their application is received and stamped for posted applications.

Concessionary end date: the date from which eligibility for concessionary rates ends.

Member type

Category of membership:

  • 01 Current
  • 03 Lapsed (in arrears)
  • 05 Unpaid (not in membership)
  • 06 Resigned.

Training completion date

The date used to identify that student training is at an end and the point from which a member will be transferred into full newly qualified membership.