Get involved 
Nurses’ Day is a time to celebrate and raise awareness of the work of nurses and their colleagues – it is a day for nurses to feel proud and the rest of the world to say thank you. It is a chance to build relationships, celebrate success and innovation, and promote the Royal College of Nursing to new and existing members. By getting involved, we will be joining a global celebration involving millions of nurses around the world.
Here is a list of ideas for how you can get involved in celebrating nursing at a local level:
- Hold a coffee morning for new members.
- Arrange a workshop for members about a professional skill or career-related issue.
- Run an event to promote one of the RCN's campaigns – such as Maternal Morality, Proud, Dignity or Nutrition Now, to raise awareness of your colleagues of the support that is available to them.
- Go to a local school and talk to students about a career in nursing.
- The International Nurses’ Day theme this year is Delivering Quality, Serving Communities: Nurses Leading Chronic Care. Hold an event around this theme to highlight the service provided by nursing.
- Invite a reporter from the local press/radio to interview you and/or your colleagues about your life as a nurse to let the public know the real issues faced on a day-to-day basis.
- Ask your Chief Executive or other senior managers to spend a day with you. An experience like this will open their eyes to the challenges faced by you and your colleagues on a daily basis and can help to break down barriers that often exist between managers and frontline staff.
- Arrange a meeting with your MP, MLA, MSP or Welsh Assembly Member to talk about the issues currently facing nursing in your organisation or community, to highlight the valuable contribution that nursing makes to society. Political and parliamentary activity in your area is co-ordinated by your RCN country or regional office. If you wish to contact a politician, please speak to your RCN office first who can advise you on how to lobby and influence.
- Ask family, friends and colleagues to log onto the RCN’s Facebook page 'Nurses’ Day 2010' and leave a message of support for all nurses – both in the NHS and the independent sector.
- Order the RCN materials for celebrating Nurses’ Day to raise awareness that the RCN is celebrating the day.
- Hold an event to drum up more awareness of the support that the RCN can provide for its members.
At your events, remember to focus on the fact that nursing is an extremely skilled profession, and that nurses play a vital role in their communities, providing the best possible care and promoting healthy lifestyles.
Remember, be creative. The more visual we can be with our celebrations of Nurses’ Day, the more awareness we will raise of the work undertaken by nurses and the support that the RCN can provide. And don't forget to share your ideas and promote your event on the Nurses' Day events page.
