Forums and Networks

As a forum member, you are part of a community that:

• shares ideas and best practice

• works to enhance knowledge in a particular specialty

• shapes nursing practice

• develop clinical guidance and standards

• represents the nursing and midwifery voice.

You can join more than one forum if you wish. However, you need to select one as your first-choice forum, as this impacts the voting rights of a forum at RCN Congress.

All forums provide you with the opportunity to influence and keep up-to-date with developments in your field of practice, contribute to consultations, network with your peers and explore opportunities that will support career development.

You can join a forum by logging into your MyRCN account or clicking on the forum links below.

Who leads the forums?

Each forum has a steering committee with a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 7 members, including a forum chair. The steering committee represents the best interests of the forum as a whole and undertakes work that is relevant to that speciality. This includes, but is not limited to:

• proposing Congress agenda items relevant to the forum and running Congress events

• developing national guidance

• working with the RCN Events Team to run conferences/ workshops/ webinars

• attending meetings with relevant stakeholders and ensuring the voice of nursing is represented

• lobbying to influence change that will benefit staff and patients.

 

Networks

There are also a number of networks in which members with similar nursing specialties and interests can come together to share their expertise and provide support to colleagues facing similar challenges in the workplace.

Unlike forums, networks do not have the same level of support provided, the governance structure, or voting rights at RCN Congress. For details of RCN networks you can join, visit: rcn.org.uk/forums.