Student member
If you are currently studying to become a fully qualified nurse or midwife, RCN membership will provide you with invaluable resources to assist with your studies and help you embark on your career in nursing.
For just £10 a year (or 84 pence per month), you can’t afford to be without it.
Benefits of student membership include:
- the world’s largest nursing library, also available online, so we’re always open even if your campus library isn’t
- online resources to help with your studies, including the award winning RCN Learning Zone
- indemnity cover and support from the RCN legal team*
- advice and support from the RCN Careers Service to help you find that perfect job
- networking and learning opportunities through RCN forums
- employment relations support
- the RCN Bulletin**
- the RCN Students magazine
- exclusive discounts through RCNXtra
- eligibility to vote in a general ballot of RCN members; vote in branch or forum elections; vote in RCN Council elections; vote in presidential elections; stand for RCN Council (student seat); stand for election to regional or national board (student seat).
- and much more!
Membership of the RCN offers excellent value for money. For example, you can access key texts and journals from the world’s biggest nursing library for free.
You can also access careers coaching and the RCN welfare service for financial or immigration advice.
* Subject to indemnity cover terms and conditions.
** Members based overseas can only access the RCN Bulletin online.
Eligibility criteria
- Student membership is available only to those individuals undertaking a recognised course of study that will, on qualification, enable them to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) for the first time, including pre-registration student midwives.
- Nurse cadets also admitted to this category but with specific job title "nurse cadet".
Exclusions
Student membership is not available to nurses or midwives who already have a qualification that would enable them to register with the NMC and/or who might be undertaking any other course of study.
Period of availability
For nurses in pre-registration training, typically three or four years depending on the course they are undertaking.
Student membership subscription rate
£10 per annum, or 84 pence per month if paying by monthly direct debit.
Regulations covering eligibility for RCN membership, the membership categories, the different payment plans and associated governance rights are set out in The RCN Definitions of Membership (PDF 126KB) [see how to acess PDF files], which is approved by RCN Council.
Notes
Representation on matters relating to the member's course of study is generally provided by the NUS rather than the RCN, although support may be provided if there is no local student support mechanism.
Student members vote only for their student representatives on RCN Council, and are not eligible to vote in other RCN Council elections.
Part-time training courses are available which can last five or six years.
Provided that the member does not have any other registerable nursing or midwifery qualification, they are eligible for student membership for as long as their training course lasts.
There are conditions and limitations to indemnity cover which are detailed on the RCN website.