The midwife who’s back to caring for patients after a long illness.
The nursing support worker who’s become an expert in dementia care.
The nurse who improved everyday life for people in care homes around the UK.
These are just a few examples of how our support for the nursing team has a direct, positive impact on patient care and public health and wellbeing.
Our impact on individuals in 2018
In 2018, we directly supported nearly 2,000 nurses, midwives and health care support workers, as well as many hundreds of others through the projects we funded.
Hardship grants
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We awarded £246,172 in hardship grants to over 362 members of the nursing team, helping them to get through hard times.
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81% of people felt more financially independent after receiving their grant.
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We gave financial advice to 1,313 members of the nursing team. Nearly a quarter (273) went on to gain an average of £5,000 in benefits and tax credits over the following year.
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In total, we identified over £1.3 million in benefits and tax credits that people were entitled to but had not claimed.
After a sudden illness left me unable to work, my anxiety levels went through the roof. I honestly did not expect the level of support I received from the RCN Foundation. It literally lightened my world and took away two months of financial stress and anxiety." - Cheryl, nurse who received a hardship grant
Education grants
We awarded £281,000 in education grants to 161 people
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99% said the activity funded by their educational grant had a positive impact on their career. Of these
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54% took on more responsibilities
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30% moved up a salary band
Grant recipients said ways their careers had flourished included: seeing their work published, presenting at major conferences, or moving into senior positions.
I feel very privileged and extremely grateful to the RCN Foundation for awarding me funding for a breast cancer care course. I’ve developed a sound knowledge and good understanding of the latest treatments for patients. This supports them on their journey as they go through a traumatic and life changing event." - Sam, educational grant recipient
Our impact on patient care
Project and research grants
In 2018, we funded:
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Resources to improve end of life care for people with a learning disability, including a film and education pack. These have been widely distributed at events and conferences.
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A website showcasing and celebrating innovation in nursing and how it’s making a positive impact on patients' lives.
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A publication and video promoting the role of community nurses, produced by The Queen’s Nursing Institute Scotland. These have been shared on social media and in 37 local press publications.
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An online training course that promotes and explains the complexities of care home nursing, produced by The University of Dundee. It’s helping challenge the public’s misconceptions around care homes and raise awareness of how nurses work together with residents and their families.
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A series of RCN public lectures raising the profile of nursing, which were attended by 376 people.
We reached the half a million-pound milestone for funding awarded on our care homes grant programme.
Why we measure impact
Evaluating our impact shows the effectiveness of our work, and how it achieves value for money for our partners and donors. It helps us know what works well so we can use evidence to continuously improve our services.