I didn’t set out to become an activist. Like many nurses, I just wanted to do my job well and support my colleagues. But nursing has a way of pulling you in fully. Over time, I realised the same applied to how I wanted to shape our profession.

Early on, I trained as a steward. It gave me a chance to understand the system, stand alongside colleagues, and start contributing to something bigger than myself. Then came the RCN strikes – that changed everything. Suddenly, all the frustrations and pride we’d carried quietly had an outlet. I threw myself into it without knowing just how much it would give back to me.

As well as learning to organise and campaign, I found community, purpose, and hope. Since then, I’ve never looked back. And I still believe deeply in the power of nursing staff across the UK, in what we can achieve when we stand together and act with purpose.

That’s why I’m excited about what’s ahead. The Activism Academy is a space for nurses and nursing support workers to develop as leaders and change-makers. It’s about building organised, collective power.

This connects directly with the RCN’s new activism strategy. For the first time, we’re embedding proven organising principles — the same ones used across the trade union movement — into the College’s work. At its core, it means recognising that:

• Power comes from members, not just representatives.
• Change happens when people are take collective action.
• Real victories are built from the bottom up.

As both a professional body and a trade union, the RCN is in a unique position. We can root activism not just in collective action, but also in professional pride. That’s a powerful combination.

The strategy gives us direction. The Academy gives us training and confidence. But the real power comes from us: every nurse who speaks up, every rep who supports a colleague, every member who asks, “What can I do?”

Together, we can stop being purely reactive and start building strength ahead of crises. We already know how resourceful nurses can be under pressure. Imagine what we could do if we were connected, supported, and united from the start.

To me, activism isn’t separate from nursing. It’s another form of care. We care for patients every day. Activism is how we care for one another, for our profession, and for the generations who will come after us.

Rhian Wheater

Accredited Steward and Health and Safety Rep

RCN Trade Union Committee Member, Yorkshire and the Humber

Chair, West Yorkshire Branch

Vice Chair, Yorkshire and the Humber Board