ÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥

Your web browser is outdated and may be insecure

The RCN recommends using an updated browser such as or

Badges and medals
The archive holds a collection of around 3,000 nursing and hospital badges donated to the ÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥ and more than 600 images of badges are available to view on the .

The collection contains nursing and hospital badges, awards, medals and nursing uniform accessories such as belt buckles, epaulets and buttons. It has grown through donations and gifts to the ÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥ and includes items from around the world.

Private collectors, often nurses themselves, have bequeathed their collections to the ÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥. Jennifer Meglaughlin, a trained nurse who became renowned for writing the first history of British Nursing Badges, left her collection of 933 badges and medals to the archive. Another 460 badges and medals were bequeathed by the respected nursing academic Francis Biley in 2013.

The RCN archive has also received almost 2,000 individual nursing and hospital badge and medal donations, many associated with personal collections.

We have more information about using the archives which includes exploring the catalogue and visiting the archive.

Blue and gold College of nursing badge, with metal bow fastening at the top. The badge is a lozenge shape, with the letters 'C' and 'N' in gold intertwined on a blue background Teardrop shaped silver badge, with black banner on the outside saying Aberdeen Royal Infirmary Woodend Hospital centred around a coat of arms An enamelled badge with a white centre featuring a cross and other symbols, surrounded by a light green circular banner containing the name of the school backed by a dark green cross. A gold and enamel badge featuring a red cross in the centre, with a white background. Surrounded by a dark blue circular banner saying 'British Red Cross Society For Service'. This is surmounted by a gold crown. A round, silver badge, with five petal-like protrusions around the outside edge. There is a person surrounded by daffodils in the centre. Around the person is a blue banner saying general nursing council for England and Wales An enamelled badge in silver, red and white with shield in the centre which has been quartered displaying (from the top right): a thistle, a clover, a daffodil and a rose. These are surrounded by a red circular banner with the hospital name 'Harperbury-Hospital-St-Albans' An enamel on silver badge with a central dark blue background with a Florence Nightingale style lamp, surrounded by a light blue circular banner with the name 'Milford Chest Hospital '. These then sit on a silver St John's cross. A colourful gold and enamel badge, with a blue, red and yellow spiral at the top. Underneath are the five Olympic rings and hanging from this is a white square with a red cross An oval gold and silver badge with a central silver image of Florence Nightingale surrounded by a gold banner containing possibly Latin writing. This is suspended from a green wreath surrounding a red cross. This is all attached to a gold, white and red ribbon