National Nurses Association

{{short description|Former trade union of the United Kingdom}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

The National Nurses Association (also known as the Association of Nurses) was a trades union for British nurses founded by Thora Silverthorne and Nancy Zinkin in 1937.{{Cite book|last=Meddick|first=Simon|title=Red Lives: Communists and the Struggle for Socialism|last2=Payne|first2=Liz|last3=Katz|first3=Phil|publisher=Manifesto Press Cooperative Limited|year=2020|isbn=978-1-907464-45-4|location=London|pages=185}}{{cite news|title=Thora Silverthorne|url=http://spartacus-educational.com/Wsilverthorne.htm|accessdate=1 April 2017|publisher=Spartacus Educational}}

It organised a campaign to highlight the poor pay and conditions of nurses with a protest march of 1000 nurses.{{cite news|title=OBITUARY: Nancy Zinkin (1912-2003)|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-515891161.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170402081223/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-515891161.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 April 2017|accessdate=1 April 2017|publisher=Community Practitioner|date=1 December 2003}} Silverthorne was attacked by the Royal College of Nursing for “not being a registered nurse” or being “paid by Moscow”.{{cite web|last1=Stevenson|first1=Graham|title=Compendium of Communist Biography|url=http://www.grahamstevenson.me.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=530:thora-silverthorne&catid=19:s&Itemid=120|accessdate=1 April 2017}} The Association later joined the National Union of Public Employees.