As our region’s member on the RCN’s UK Nursing Support Workers Committee, I wanted to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy Nursing Support Workers’ Day. This is the time of year when we celebrate the vital contribution all NSWs make to patients in health and social care. I hope you recognise how valued you are, not just by patients but by your colleagues as well.

If you are marking the day in your workplace, please share your pictures with us on social media. I will be attending the Nursing Support Worker Conference at the RCN HQ in London, as well as speaking to members at our regional catch-up. I hope to see many of you there. You can find out more information about events and support for NSW members on the dedicated NSW page on the RCN website.

I also want to take this chance to highlight to you the different parts of the RCN Institute of Nursing Excellence where you can also get involved and benefit as an NSW member. The institute is the home of nursing leadership, learning and collaboration, and has five academies.

The Activism Academy has been set up to empower members to win meaningful improvements and positive change in your workplaces. We know the difference that nursing staff can make when we use our voice and take action together to highlight where we believe change is needed. The Nursing Leadership Academy is all about developing and strengthening essential leadership skills, finding your voice and discovering how to influence policy, while the Nursing Practice Academy helps promote a culture of learning and development.  

As we all know the challenges posed by staffing shortages, the Nursing Workforce Academy is working hard to combat the nursing workforce crisis to help build retention and recruitment.   Finally, the International Nursing Academy is based on the premise that investment in global nursing provides better health outcomes for all.

 

I would encourage you to take a moment to visit each of the academies via the RCN Institute of Nursing Excellence page to find out more about their work and consider how you might benefit from getting involved as a NSW. 

 

If you’d like to find out more about me and the work of the Nursing Support Workers Committee, please visit the NSW Committee page.

 

Don’t forget that the region has monthly online catch-ups for all members. These are an ideal opportunity to come along and ask any questions you have. Check out the events page to see these and all upcoming events. We’d love to see you there.