Tackling the nursing workforce crisis
Our Nursing Workforce Academy provides the evidence to back meaningful change
Welcome to the RCN Nursing Workforce Academy.
Our aim is to use robust evidence as the catalyst for combatting the nursing workforce crisis. We're focused on the systemic causes of trends that are driving up mental ill health and attrition among nursing staff and driving down the quality of patient care.
Nursing is the largest safety-critical profession in health care. It's vital that the right staff, with the right skills are in the right place, at the right time. Use these pages to make sense of what you're seeing in your workplace, understand what safe should look like and feel confident making the case for more nurses where you work.
How we work
We set the standard of exceptional care through our Nursing Workforce Standards
We commission and produce research that guides our campaigns and changes policy
We offer wellbeing resources to help you and your team navigate the tough times
Get the blueprint for safe, effective nursing
Our Nursing Workforce Standards set the benchmark for a safe and effective nursing workforce.
They can be used in all settings, in all UK countries, to transform your workplace.
See the research
Registered nurse staffing levels for patient safety, care quality and cost effectiveness
Your nursing workforce team
Dr Kate Kirk, Associate Director of Nursing Workforce
Kate is a Clinical Academic Nurse with a PhD in Healthcare Management and an MA in Research Methods. Kate has expertise in nurses work lives and wellbeing as a mechanism for improving staff and patient experience of care and organisational efficiency. Throughout her 20-year career, she has worked to empower nurses through research and is delighted by the opportunities presented in the Academy to create lasting impact for the workforce.
Professor Jane Ball, Director of the RCN Institute for Nursing Excellence
Jane is director of the RCN Institute of Nursing Excellence. Over the past 30 plus years her research has focused on nursing employment and deployment, looking at how features of nurse staffing affect care quality, patient outcomes and nurses themselves. The unifying aim of the work has been to identify conditions needed to allow nurses to deliver excellent care and have satisfying and sustainable careers.
Wendy Preston, Head of Nursing Workforce
With over 35 years’ experience, Wendy specialises in advancing nursing practice across diverse roles. She holds an MSc in respiratory care and independent nurse prescribing, plus a PG Cert in higher education, and she’s now pursuing a PhD in nursing research with an international focus. After a decade in ward management, she moved to clinical academia, combining advanced nurse practitioner and senior lecturer roles before becoming a consultant nurse. She advocates for legislative change to empower nurses in delivering safe, effective care.
Lena Johnson, Professional Lead for Nursing Workforce
While studying Biomedical Science, Lena worked part-time as a nursing support worker. Inspired by brilliant nurses including her parents, she completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Adult Nursing. In 2020, she managed 50 nursing staff on a respiratory ward, supporting COVID-19 patients throughout the pandemic. In 2022, she joined the RCN to focus on safer staffing, our Nursing Workforce Standards, nurse-to-patient ratios and eradicating corridor care. She prioritises patient safety and dignity, and staff education and wellbeing.
Seen the evidence? Now join the campaign
Our 'Safely staffed by law' campaign demands safe and dignified care for every patient. And that starts with a properly staffed and supported workforce.
