Advice Guides
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Accidents at work and personal injury
A guide for RCN members on steps to take following an accident at work and how to make a personal injury claim.
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Aesthetic practice
A guide for RCN members involved in aesthetic or cosmetic procedures (including botox and fillers).
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Age discrimination in reformed public service pension schemes
A guide for RCN members around age discrimination in public sector pension schemes following the McCloud judgment.
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Agency workers
A guide for RCN members on agency work, including information about employment status, rights and health checks.
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Annual leave and holiday pay
A guide for RCN members on annual leave and holiday pay entitlements.
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Appraisals and performance reviews: how to prepare
A checklist for RCN members providing advice on preparing for a constructive appraisal or performance review.
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Asbestos
A guide for RCN members including risks related to and management of asbestos in the workplace.
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Attending an inquest to give evidence
Practical advice for RCN members who have been asked to give evidence at an Coroner's inquest.
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Bank holidays
A guide for RCN members covering pay, annual leave and sick leave issues on bank holidays.
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Bullying and harassment
A guide for RCN members experiencing bullying and harassment including sexual harassment at work.
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Cancellation of work
A guide for RCN members who have had their work cancelled.
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Capability and performance reviews
A guide for RCN members on capability, performance standards, appraisals and reviews.
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Cautions, convictions and interviews
A guide for RCN members on police and other interviews, cautions, convictions and taking part in protests and how this may affect your NMC registration.
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Changes to your shifts
A guide for RCN members on what to do if your employer is seeking to make changes to shifts and shift patterns.
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Confidentiality
A guide for RCN members listing authoritative resources on confidentiality.
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Confirmation or verification of death by registered nurses
A guide for RCN members on confirmation or verification of death by registered nurses.
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Conflicts of interest
A guide for RCN members when they are engaging with representatives of the pharmaceutical industry or sponsors.
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Contract checklist: 10 things to check before you sign
This checklist for RCN members will help you assess a new contract of employment before you sign it.
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Contracts
A guide for RCN members on written and verbal contracts, terms and conditions, contract changes, changes to shifts and cancellation of work.
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Copyright
A guide for RCN members on copyright; including ownership, duration, infringement and enforcement.
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COVID-19 (coronavirus) FAQs
An advice guide covering our most frequently asked questions about COVID-19 (coronavirus) and your rights in the workplace.
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COVID-19 and individual risk assessments
An advice guide covering your rights relating to individual risk assessments.
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COVID-19 and personal protective equipment (PPE)
An advice guide covering COVID-19 (coronavirus) and personal protective equipment (PPE).
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COVID-19 and vaccination employment guidance
An advice guide covering our most frequently asked questions about COVID-19 (coronavirus) vaccination and your rights in the workplace.
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Data protection and monitoring at work
A guide on data protection and monitoring at work.
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Defamation
A guide for nurses and nursing staff on defamation.
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Discipline
A guide about disciplinary processes covering suspension, investigations, hearings, penalties and appeals.
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Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and Disclosure Scotland (DS)
A guide for RCN members on criminal record checks.
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Discrimination
A guide covering protected characteristics, types of discrimination and what you should do if you feel you are being discriminated against at work.
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Discrimination: disability
A guide for nursing staff on disability discrimination and the Equality Act 2010.
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Discrimination: equal pay
Information on pay and discrimination and what to do if you think you are being discriminated against.
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Dismissal
A guide on dismissal including information about types of dismissal and employment tribunal time limits.
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Duty of candour
A guide for nurses and nursing staff on the duty of candour.
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Duty of care
Information on the duty of care covering definitions, emergency situations and conflict with employer's instructions.
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Employment tribunals and the courts
A guide for nursing staff covering employment tribunals, County Court, the Sheriffs Court (Scotland) and the small claims procedure.
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Fixed term contracts
A guide to fixed term contracts for nurses and nursing staff.
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Flexible working
A guide to flexible working options and the application process.
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Gifts and wills
A guide for nursing staff on what to consider when offered a gift and when asked to sign a Will.
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Grievance
A guide for nursing staff on grievances and how to approach disputes at work.
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Having a family toolkit
This toolkit is designed to provide you with all the information you need about becoming a working parent, including maternity, paternity and adoption leave, pay, changing employment and your rights on returning to work. It also includes information on time off for dependants and flexible working.
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Health and safety concerns
Advice and information to help you if you have health and safety concerns at work.
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Ill-health retirement: NHS pension scheme
A guide for RCN members covering ill-health retirement under the NHS pension scheme.
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Inquests and Fatal Accident Inquiries
A guide for nurses and nursing staff on Coroner's inquests and Fatal Accident Inquiries.
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Investigations
A guide to the investigation process, including how to prepare and possible outcomes.
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Jury service
A guide for nurses and nursing staff who have been asked to attend jury service.
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Legal support for matters which occurred outside RCN membership
A guide for RCN members on legal support available for matters which occurred outside membership.
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Long COVID
An advice guide providing information on Long COVID.
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Membership FAQs
This guide answers FAQs about RCN membership. It covers joining the RCN, payments and direct debits, tax relief, confirmation of membership, cancelling, changing your address or other details, forgotten membership numbers, and how and when to contact the RCN.
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Moving and handling
A guide for nursing staff on correct moving and handling techniques.
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Mpox
A guide for RCN members on Mpox including both clinical and employment issues
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NHS injury allowance
A guide for nurses and nursing staff on NHS Injury Allowance.
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NHS pension
A guide for RCN members on the NHS pension scheme(s).
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NHS terms and conditions: Agenda for Change
Information on Agenda for Change terms and conditions including sick pay, pay on appointment, pay progression, leave, overtime, maternity and reckonable service.
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NMC: Fitness to practise concerns
A guide on the NMC's fitness to practice process, their investigations and how to report concerns.
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NMC: Preceptorship
A guide for RCN members on preceptorship and the NMC.
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NMC: Readmission or practicing whilst lapsed
This guide is for RCN members who have let their NMC registration lapse by mistake or who have practiced whilst lapsed.
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NMC: Self-referrals
A tool for RCN members who need advice on whether to self-refer to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
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Non-medical prescribers
Information on non-medical prescribing, including types of nurse prescriber, keeping stocks of medication and the RCN Indemnity scheme. It also provides a list of further useful resources.
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Notice
A guide for RCN members who want to resign from their job.
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Overpayment of wages
Advice guide on what to do if you have been overpaid.
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Part-time workers
A guide for RCN members on part-time working including equal rights and overtime.
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Pay: NHS and independent health and social care employers
This guide covers statutory rates of pay, sleep-ins and travel time, making a pay claim if you work in the independent health and social care sector, and submitting an NHS re-banding review.
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Prioritising personal safety
A guide for RCN members on practising safely in challenging settings, including community and lone working
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Problems at work checklist
A checklist to help RCN members resolve problems in the workplace.
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RCN members attending a demonstration or protest
A guide for RCN members who are considering attending a demonstration or protest
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Recruitment, interviews and job offers
A guide for RCN members on the recruitment process, including interviews and job offers.
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Redeployment and unsustainable pressures
An advice guide covering unsustainable pressures and redeployment - being moved from your normal place of work.
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Redundancy and reorganisation
A guide for RCN members who are facing reorganisation, redeployment or redundancy. It includes information on being put at risk and being called to formal meetings, along with information on voluntary redundancy and severance schemes.
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Redundancy and reorganisation: one-to-one meeting checklist
A checklist for RCN members invited to a one-to-one meeting as part of a reorganisation, redundancy or transfer consultation exercise.
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References
A guide providing information on employment and character references.
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Refusal to treat
A guide for RCN members on withdrawing care.
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Reproductive health and menopause at work
This guide is to provide information on your rights in managing work alongside your reproductive well being and menopause.
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Self-employment
A guide for RCN members who are self-employed or considering self employment including information on NMC requirements, indemnity cover and the role of an expert witness.
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Sickness
Information on sickness meetings, sick notes, menopause, occupational health, redeployment, annual leave, sick pay, stress, pregnancy and sick leave, and dismissal.
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Staffing levels
An advice guide to help raise concerns about unsustainable pressures and safe staffing levels.
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State pension and WASPI
State pension and women against state pension increase
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Statements: how to write them
A guide for RCN members asked to write a statement for an investigation at work, in response to a complaint, or about an unexpected incident.
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Student electives overseas
A guide for RCN members seeking to undertake an overseas elective placement.
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Student nurses
A guide for RCN members who are nursing students.
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Time off work
A guide for RCN members including information about time off for appointments, emergencies (including compassionate leave) and dependants. It also covers parental leave, time off for training and for trade union activities, and career breaks.
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Training: statutory and mandatory
A guide for RCN members on statutory and mandatory training: what it is, when it is undertaken, equality and diversity considerations and mandatory training for bank and agency workers.
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Transferring to another employer (TUPE)
A guide for RCN members affected by a TUPE situation.
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Travel, parking and getting to work
A guide for RCN members on travel disruption, bad weather and getting to work.
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Underpayment of wages
A guide for RCN members who have been underpaid by their employer.
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Violence in the workplace
A guide for RCN members on violence including sexual assault in the workplace.
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Virtual Hearings
A guide for RCN members attending virtual hearings.
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Witness
This is a guide for RCN members on being a witness. It includes disciplinary hearings, NMC and GMC hearings, police investigations, Coroner's Court inquests and other investigating bodies.
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Working and coming to work in the UK
A guide for international RCN members coming to the UK for the first time and for those already here
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Working in hot weather
An advice guide for members who are working in hot weather or extreme heat.
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Working overseas
A guide for RCN members on working overseas.
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Working time and breaks
Information on working hours and breaks.
