Our work 

• Promoting best practice in rheumatology
• Leading the development of rheumatology nursing practice
• Promoting the nature, scope and value of rheumatology nursing
• Educating nurses and health care professionals and improving the quality of compassionate patient care
• Influencing changes in rheumatology that will benefit both patients and nurses

• Rheumatology Forum Annual Report 2022

• Read the Rheumatology Forum Member Representation - Biannual Report - Aug 2023
• Update of the 2017 guidance, Assessing, managing and monitoring biologic therapies for inflammatory arthritis.

Administering Subcutaneous Methotrexate for Inflammatory Arthritis (October 2021)

This guidance provides the background information regarding subcutaneous methotrexate as an educational resource for practitioners, with particular reference to safety and best practice; and incorporates new sections on treat-to-target and medication optimisation. Whilst the guidance has been developed for rheumatology practitioners, some aspects may also be of value to health care colleagues working in other specialties including dermatology, gastroenterology and ophthalmology. See: Administering Subcutaneous Methotrexate for Inflammatory Arthritis

Rheumatology Nurse Specialist Competency Framework

This publication provides a competency and role development framework for rheumatology practitioners in clinical practice (most commonly called rheumatology nurse specialists). A suite of evaluation documents have also been produced, to be used in conjunction with the framework as guidance, and include advice on the assessment process and on providing evidence.

• A competency framework for rheumatology nurses (March 2020)
• A competency framework for rheumatology nurses: evaluation documents (May 2020)
• Rheumatology nurse competency framework: phase 1 evaluation of quantitative data report (February 2020)

The RCN and its forums are invited to participate in many cross working and multidisciplinary workstreams. Below are a selection of some of the activities that members of the Rheumatology Nursing Forum are involved in on your behalf.

• British Society for Rheumatology (BSR) Committees. Members of the forum represent the RCN and the nursing voice on various BSR committees.
• Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance (ARMA). The RCN Rheumatology Nursing Forum is a member organisation of ARMA.