Publications
RCN publications cover a wide range of topics varying from clinical guidance to employment relations issues to advice on bullying. To reproduce RCN publications please complete the copyright request form and we’ll be in touch.
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4 Nov 2025
RCN Employment Standards crib sheet
Publication Code : 012 314In 2024 we launched our Employment Standards for Independent Health and Social Care Sectors. They set out what we expect employers in these settings to deliver for the nursing workforce. This quick reference crib sheet highlights how RCN reps can make sure these standards protect, empower and improve things for the workforce. The full standards can also be downloaded as publication code 011 603.
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4 Nov 2025
RCN Employment Standards Workplace Poster
Publication Code : 012 315A downloadable workplace poster to highlight the RCN’s Employment Standards in the Independent Health and Social Care Sector and what you should expect from your employer. The full standards can also be downloaded as publication code 011 603.
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31 Oct 2025
Ask.Listen.Act. (3rd edition)
Publication Code : 012 275This publication, for all RCN activists, should be used to start a conversation about experiences in the workplace, working with other unions and senior managers to highlight and address issues. This resource will allow you to move from ‘what went wrong’ to ‘how shall we fix it’.
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30 Oct 2025
Safe staffing: evaluating the evidence for mandatory nurse-to-patient ratios
Publication Code : 012 306An independent analysis by the University of Southampton found strong and consistent evidence that higher registered nurse staffing levels significantly improve patient safety and nurse wellbeing, with inadequate staffing linked to increased risks of harm and burnout. This report shows that while mandatory minimum staffing levels are one potential solution, critics argue they may be inflexible and costly, and could inadvertently reduce the overall skill mix of nursing teams.
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29 Oct 2025
RCN Position Statement: Recognition of Advanced Level Nursing
Publication Code : 012 324This document describes the RCN position around the definition of advanced level nursing.
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15 Oct 2025
Care amongst the chaos
Publication Code : 012 203This report outlines the rising incidence of violence against staff and health facilities, and presents accounts from nursing staff working in many war zones. It is grounded in the fundamental principle that health care workers must be protected, not persecuted. It does not align with any side in any conflict. It stands for the right of nurses and other health professionals to deliver care in safety, wherever they are.
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1 Oct 2025
Transition from Fertility to Maternity Care
Publication Code : 012 250Pregnancy following fertility treatment can be an exciting, challenging and anxious time for expectant parents. This updated guidance is primarily to raise awareness of possible pathways of care for women (and their partners/support networks) as they travel through fertility treatment and pregnancy, and how they can best be supported by the health care professionals they encounter along their journey.
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30 Sep 2025
Nursing Workforce Standards poster
Publication Code : 012 260This poster highlights the RCN's 14 Nursing Workforce Standards, which are required to secure a nursing workforce able to deliver the safe, effective, compassionate, person-centred nursing care our patients and service users need and deserve.
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29 Sep 2025
Pregnancy Loss Guidance for Nursing
Publication Code : 012 169Nurses and midwives should be aware and comfortable supporting the potential distress associated with pregnancy loss regardless of gestation. The unexpected loss of a pregnancy at any gestation can be frightening, devastating and traumatic, leading to depression and anxiety. This guidance is intended to provide an overview of the needs of those who have suffered a pregnancy loss, and to support best practice for nurses working in a wide range of settings.
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24 Sep 2025
Stronger Nursing, Stronger Nation
Publication Code : 012 281Stronger Nursing, Stronger Nation. These are the issues the next Welsh Government will need to address. Discover a clear, practical, realistic set of policies all political parties can and should adopt to improve health and care in Wales. This is the English language version, a Welsh version is available under 012 282.
