Royal College of Nursing

The Royal College of Nursing is a registered trade union and professional body in the United Kingdom for the nursing profession, founded in 1916 as the College of Nursing and granted its royal charter in 1928, with close to six hundred thousand members drawn mainly from registered nurses but also including student nurses and healthcare assistants. Headquartered in a Grade II listed building at 20 Cavendish Square in London, it maintains regional offices across Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and England, operates libraries in several UK cities, and publishes Nursing Standard along with other nursing journals. Since 1977 it has functioned as a registered trade union, representing nursing professionals on pay, working conditions, and workplace safety, alongside its work shaping health policy and promoting excellence in nursing practice.