Empowering nurses, strengthening Wales: celebrating International Nurses Day 2025
By Rhiannon Jones, Deputy Director for Nursing, Quality, Safety & Improvement, Rhys Roberts, Head of the All-Wales Nurse Staffing Programme and Carolyn Middleton, Programme Lead – Registered Nursing Associate.
This year’s International Nurses Day theme, “Our Nurses. Our Future. Caring for Nurses Strengthens Economies,” reminds us that investing in the nursing workforce is not just a moral imperative – it’s a strategic one. Strong, supported nursing teams lead to healthier communities and more resilient healthcare systems.
In Wales, this message is reflected in the work of the All-Wales Nurse Staffing Programme, which plays a leadership role in ensuring safe and effective nurse staffing levels across our NHS. By using evidence-based workforce tools and professional judgement to support appropriate nurse staffing, this programme contributes towards improved patient outcomes and nurse wellbeing alike. With a renewed focus on research, digitalisation, and a broader reach, the programme is a practical example of how valuing nurses truly does strengthen our health system and, by extension, our economy.
This is an exciting time to be, or become, a nurse in Wales.
The Chief Nursing Office for Wales commissioned the most significant review of nursing in over 20 years, culminating in the decision to introduce the Registered Nursing Associate (RNA) role into the NHS Wales nursing workforce, once the necessary legislative changes have been enacted.
The Registered Nursing Associate is a pivotal role and an assistive member of the nursing team, who has gained a Nursing Associate Foundation Degree awarded by an Nursing and Midwifery Council-approved provider, involving the completion of high-level study over 2 years full time (but can be completed part time), enabling Nursing Associates to perform more significant and complex care activities than a Health Care Support Worker but not the scope of a Registered Nurse (RN). RNAs can work with people of all ages across the four fields of practice: adult, child, mental health and learning disabilities.
In England, where the RNA has existed for more than six years, the role has been described by senior nurse leaders as the best model of widening access into Nursing. The RNA role is a career destination or can be a stepping stone to becoming a RN. Registered Nursing Associates will build the capacity of the nursing workforce, supporting delivery of high quality, evidence-based patient care, assisting the Registered Nurse, and members of the multidisciplinary team.
Wales is also embarking on a groundbreaking workstream to set Parameters of Practice, which will unequivocally distinguish and protect RN and RNA roles, mitigating any risk of RN substitution.
Let us honour nurses not just in words, but through policy, investment, and innovation.
A supported nursing workforce is a stronger health service – and a stronger nation.
On Nurses Day, to every nurse, in every setting, and those who work alongside nurses to deliver excellent patient services, thank you for the skill, compassion, and strength you bring to every moment of care.
Visit our website to find out more about the All-Wales Nurse Staffing Programme.