RCN Accreditation
Accreditation is the RCN seal of approval for health care training - a mark of quality.
Discover the benefits of accrediting your learning and development resources and how to get accredited.
If you’re looking for accredited events and courses you can browse them here.
Getting your course, resource or event accredited
Discover the benefits of accreditation
Stand out from your competitors through use of the RCN Accredited mark.
Demonstrate your effectiveness in educating nurses and the wider healthcare family.
Showcase your commitment to quality by partnering with the RCN, one of the most respected voices in nursing.
"Our clients place high value on our RCN-accredited courses even those clients who are not registered nurses! Your reputation adds great value to our training as delegates know the standard of our training content will be high."
Get your course accredited
Accreditation is a mark of quality. By accrediting your resources, you're demonstrating your commitment to high quality education and continuing professional development, promoting best practice and improving patient care.
How much does accreditation cost?
| 2026 | ||
| Standard fee | Discounted fee NHS/Charity/HEI | |
| Event/course up to 35 hours conference; study day; webinar; course (face-to face or virtual) E-learning up to 5 hours Resource (guideline, framework, standards) |
£1335 plus VAT | £605 plus VAT |
| Event/course over 35 hours to 70 hours conference; study day; webinar; course (face-to face or virtual) E-learning over 5 hours and up to 10 hours |
£2670 plus VAT | £1210 plus VAT |
| E-learning Each additional hour over 10 + hours | £125 plus VAT | £115 plus VAT |
| Cervical screening training (CST) course up to 35 hours – NHS/HEI sectors only | £1215 plus VAT | |
| Professional Nurse Advocate programme/module | £2260 plus VAT |
|
| HEI Post-registration degree programme/module |
£2260 plus VAT |
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| Blended learning course: please email accreditation@rcn.org.uk with details of the e-learning and face-to-face components of your course for confirmation of fees |
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Contact our RCN Accreditation team
Centre for Professional Accreditation, Royal College of Nursing, 20 Cavendish Square, London W1G 0RN
Email: accreditation@rcn.org.uk
Accreditation FAQs
Our mission
RCN accreditation promotes excellent standards in clinical practice, research, and leadership. A guarantee of evidence-based learning and development aimed at improving patient safety, high quality care and outcomes.
Our mission is to be the first choice for accreditation for organisations who are aiming to be world leaders in innovative education, learning and development initiatives.
We serve the nursing workforce and communities of practice at all levels, across all health and social care sectors in the UK.
Our vision
The RCN is built on 105 years of professional expertise.
We are committed through the Royal Charter to promote the science and art of nursing, education and training in the profession of nursing.
Our Accreditation offer will support and enhance learning for the nursing profession and will foster an inclusive and diverse approach, using a wide range of methods and mediums, including digital, to reach colleagues locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.
RCN accreditation promotes excellent standards in clinical practice, research, and leadership. A guarantee of evidence-based learning and development aimed at improving patient safety, high quality care and outcomes.
Our mission is to be the first choice for accreditation for organisations who are aiming to be world leaders in innovative education, learning and development initiatives.
We serve the nursing workforce and communities of practice at all levels, across all health and social care sectors in the UK.
Our vision
The RCN is built on 105 years of professional expertise.
We are committed through the Royal Charter to promote the science and art of nursing, education and training in the profession of nursing.
Our Accreditation offer will support and enhance learning for the nursing profession and will foster an inclusive and diverse approach, using a wide range of methods and mediums, including digital, to reach colleagues locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.
- enables you to stand out from your competitors, with use of the RCN Accredited mark
- aligns your organisation with the RCN and its reputation for excellence within the nursing sector
- demonstrates your effectiveness in educating nurses and the wider health care family
- allows you to use the accreditation review process as a staff professional development opportunity
- appeals to individuals and employers who need to choose the most effective use of their time and money
The RCN will consider accreditation of:
events, courses, eLearning, credit-bearing degrees, resources, guidelines, as well as standards and competency frameworks in a wide range of topics.
Ask a senior staff member or decision maker in your organisation, such as the CEO, Training Manager, Quality Assurance Manager, Lead Practitioner, Lead Nurse, Account Manager or Education Development Lead, to complete our 'expression of interest' form.
We can consider requests for accreditation from training providers based within or outside of the UK, provided the training is aimed at a UK registered nursing audience and meets UK regulation, legislation, guidance, and standards for the UK registered nursing workforce.
The RCN accreditation programme accredits Continuing Professional Development (CPD) initiatives, this could be for training providers in both commercial and not for profit sectors and could include events, conferences, webinars, e-learning and resources.
To ensure the learning is contemporaneous, RCN Accreditation lasts for one year. You can re-apply at the end of the accreditation period.
Once an application is received and the client has paid the Accreditation fee, the application will be peer-reviewed and assessed for accreditation. The client will be given feedback on their application, and make any necessary changes that may have been identified. Once the changes have been approved, the client will receive confirmation of RCN Accreditation.
It can take up to 10 weeks from date of payment to allow for the quality assurance process.
We can consider requests for accreditation from training providers based within or outside of the UK, provided the training is aimed at a UK registered nursing audience and meets UK regulation, legislation, guidance, and standards for the UK registered nursing workforce.
All accredited programmes are subjected to a rigorous quality assessment process to ensure the learning and development initiatives meet the RCN’s standards of excellence. As a delegate on an RCN accredited programme, you can guarantee that the content will promote best practice and lead to improved patient care.
Get your accreditation
The accreditation process requires at least 10 weeks (12 weeks for post-registration credit-bearing programmes from HEIs) from when the accreditation fee is received.
