Before 1900, nurses journeyed across the globe, sometimes as military nurses, sometimes as missionaries, both to and from British colonies. International nurses have also made a huge contribution to British health care, especially since the founding of the NHS in 1948. This exhibition explores the stories of some of those who have been moved to care – from the 19th century to the present day.

Stories include the Colonial Nursing Association and the legacies of the British Empire, Jewish refugees who trained as nurses to escape Nazi-occupied Europe, and the role of global majority nurses in the development of UK sickle cell nursing.

Visitors can also add their migration stories to our story disc wall – a collaboration with The Migration Museum. These will be added to the thousands of migration stories the Migration Museum has collected over the past decade.

You can visit this exhibition at RCN HQ from 5 March - 2 September 2026 or check out the online exhibition.