Pat Cullen is to stay in the role of General Secretary and Chief Executive of the Royal College of Nursing for a further 12 months until the end of 2023.
RCN Council confirmed the extension during its meeting on 29 April 2022. Ms Cullen will give her first RCN Congress keynote address next month outlining her plans and the upcoming priorities and challenges for the College. She was initially appointed on an interim basis in mid-2021 until the end of 2022 and has now been extended.
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‘Pat’s commendable leadership over the last year has brought stability to our organisation in difficult times. With the full confidence of RCN Council and the wider membership, she will be able to look to the future and make the right decisions to reform our College and ensure its strength for many years to come,’ said RCN Chair of Council Carol Popplestone.
‘I am delighted she has accepted this extension and I look forward to continuing to work alongside her in the future.’
Ms Cullen has worked at the RCN since 2016, became Director of RCN Northern Ireland in May 2019 and acted as General Secretary & Chief Executive from April 2021, taking over the interim role in August 2021.
She has confirmed she will not return to her substantive role as Director of RCN Northern Ireland after 2023 and therefore the recruitment to this position will begin in May 2022.
‘After 40 years in RCN membership, it has been the ultimate privilege to lead this organisation and ensure its place as the voice of the nursing profession,’ said RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Pat Cullen.
‘With the extra time in the role, I will drive forward the fight for improved pay and safe staffing for members everywhere. Nursing staff are the greatest champions of high-quality patient care and employers, policy makers and governments across the UK will be left in no doubt of our determination to raise those standards.’