Making a difference: what it means to be an RCN rep

The college’s representatives play an essential part in ensuring members get a fair deal. A new book celebrating their contribution also reveals how rewarding the role is, personally and professionally

Three years ago, mental health nurse Jeremy Davies felt burnt out and stuck in a rut. ‘I was a middle-aged man with no direction, counting pay days until retirement,’ he says.

Then a friend who was an RCN learning representative – a voluntary role supporting members with their career development – suggested he follow in her footsteps.

‘She saw it as an opportunity for me to try something different,’ says Mr Davies, who became an RCN learning representative in Wales in 2015. ‘And I could never have anticipated how positive, life-changing and life affirming it could be.’

Now Mr Davies is among almost two dozen RCN representatives from every region and across the