A unique collection of material on British nurses and nursing.
Our collections date from the 1870s to the present day. They capture the evolution and development of nursing through the 20th-21st Centuries.
The RCN library and archive collections are the largest of their kind in the world.
A unique collection of material on British nurses and nursing.
Our collections date from the 1870s to the present day. They capture the evolution and development of nursing through the 20th-21st Centuries.
A century of records detailing the work of the College as a professional association and trade union.
More on the Royal College of Nursing Archive
A collection of over 700 oral history interviews with nurses.
See the Archives Catalogue for more detail.
More on the Oral History Collection.
Over 8500 books and other printed material dating from 1870.
More on the Printed Collection
Personal nursing libraries donated to the Royal College of Nursing including the Lucy Seymer and Cecilia Cory Collections.
Over 250 journals dating from 1888-1987.
More about the Historical Nursing Journals.
You can search the journal finder for our historical titles.
Search The Nursing Record - British Journal of Nursing 1888-1956
25 books from Nightingale's personal library from 1841.
More on the Book Collection
Handwritten letters by Nightingale 1855 - 1902 and contemporary pamphlets and reports.
More on the Letters and Pamphlets Collection
A collection of pamphlets and books published by the Royal College of Nursing including guidance, annual reports, commissioned research and promotional literature dating from 1919.
More on the Royal College of Nursing Publications
More on the Study of Nursing Care and RCN Research Series
Over 100 rare and unique early nursing and health care books 1614 - 1870.
More on the Rare Book Collection
A pool of evidence illustrating nurses' real livesand careers from 1822 - to present including letters, certificates and diaries.
More on the Nurses' Personal Papers
Over 5,000 prints showing nurses, nursing and hospitals from the 1900s to 1980s.
More on the Photographic Collection
Search Mary Evans Picture Library
Over 8,000 nursing and hospital badges donated to the Royal College of Nursing.
More on the Badges and Medal Collections.
Over 2000 nursing and hospital postcards donated to the Royal College of Nursing.
More on the Postcard Collection
Papers donated to the Royal College of Nursing by other UK nursing organisations.
More on Nursing Organisation Collection
Search Queens Nursing Institute for Scotland
Over 440 reports comparing UK and international nursing practice from 1990 - to present.
More on the Florence Nightingale Foundation Scholar's Reports
Explore the lives of 10 First World War nurses, through diaries and scrapbooks filled with their own words, sketches and photographs.
