The union will begin to look for a permanent General Secretary and Chief Executive next year.
Royal College of Nursing General Secretary and Chief Executive Pat Cullen has announced she is to stay on until the end of 2024.
Previously the union’s Director of Northern Ireland, Ms Cullen took on the circa £200,000 a year role following the highly controversial departure of the union’s former leader.
Her interim contract has already been extended once, and now Ms Cullen has confirmed she now will stay in the role until the end of 2024 providing some much-needed stability to the union.
The union has faced numerous challenges since Ms Cullen took the helm including leading the union’s first strike in England, alongside culture and governance issues identified by the Bruce Carr QC.
Ms Cullen has also confirmed the union will begin to look for a permanent General Secretary and Chief Executive next year.
A challenging couple of years.
A blog post on the RCN website reads, “I want to start this blog with a bit of personal news. I’m very proud and fortunate to say that I’ve accepted an offer to stay on as RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive until the end of 2024.
“This is an extension of my current contract, which was due to end this December”, she explains.
Ms Cullen continues, “It’s been an incredibly busy and professionally challenging couple of years, leading historic strike action and navigating internal issues related to our culture and governance. But it’s also been exhilarating and humbling to serve you, our members.
“I’m excited about what lies ahead over the next 16 months as we build the new RCN Institute of Nursing Excellence, delivering on all five of its fronts to push our great profession to new frontiers.
Adding, “I’ll be here to embed that ambition, and recruitment will begin for a permanent General Secretary and Chief Executive next year.”
It is not known if Ms Cullen will return to her previous role or depart the RCN at the end of her contract.
