Pat Cullen

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Patricia Yvonne Cullen (born 1965)[1][2] is an Irish nurse and trade unionist. Cullen was the Chief Executive and General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing [3] from July 2021 to May 2024.[4] Cullen announced her departure of the RCN as she intends to stand in the upcoming 2024 United Kingdom general election.

Early life[edit]

Cullen was born in Carrickmore, County Tyrone and was the youngest of seven children.[5] Her sister had a learning disability which prompted her to study mental health nursing.[6]

Career[edit]

Cullen worked as a community nurse in west Belfast during the Troubles. She later became a registered psychotherapist.[7] She went on to hold roles at the Public Health Agency and the Health and Social Care Board, before joining the Royal College of Nursing in 2016.[8] In May 2019, she became director of the Northern Ireland Board of the RCN.[9] She started acting as General Secretary and Chief Executive in April 2021, and was appointed as interim General Secretary and Chief Executive of the national RCN in July 2021.[10]

In late 2022, she led the National Health Service strikes in which English and Welsh nurses went on strike for the first time in the nursing union's 106-year history.[11] In April 2023, her union announced a strike on May bank holiday weekend (30 April to 2 May) after RCN members rejected the pay offer.[12]

In 2023, Cullen was described by the New Statesman as ”one of the UKs most prominent Trade Union leaders”, being placed at No.15 in their list of the most powerful left-wing figures of the year, above many elected politicians.[13]

In May 2024, Cullen announced she was stepping down from her current role at the RCN in order to seek election at the 2024 United Kingdom general election.[14] She intends to stand as the Sinn Féin candidate in Fermanagh and South Tyrone.[15]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Search the register - The Nursing and Midwifery Council". www.nmc.org.uk. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  2. ^ "Error | Royal College of Nursing". The Royal College of Nursing. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  3. ^ "Pat Cullen: The Tyrone woman leading nurses' strike". RTÉ. 20 December 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  4. ^ "Professor Pat Cullen steps down from RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive role | News | Royal College of Nursing". The Royal College of Nursing. 2024-05-29. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  5. ^ Campbell, Denis (9 December 2022). "Nurses' union leader Pat Cullen: 'I follow through on what I believe in'". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  6. ^ Campbell, Denis (2022-12-09). "Nurses' union leader Pat Cullen: 'I follow through on what I believe in'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  7. ^ "Who is RCN chief and former nurse Pat Cullen?". The Independent. 2022-12-20. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  8. ^ Coyle, Conor (2022-12-15). "Meet the NI woman at the head of the Royal College of Nursing". BelfastLive. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
  9. ^ Kirby, Jane (6 October 2022). "Nurses' strike ballot: Who is Pat Cullen?". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  10. ^ "Executive Team | Royal College of Nursing". The Royal College of Nursing. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
  11. ^ "Pat Cullen: Who is the RCN nursing union boss leading strikes?". BBC News. 2022-12-22. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
  12. ^ "RCN nurses to strike on May bank holiday in England as pay offer rejected". BBC News. 2023-04-14. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
  13. ^ "The New Statesman's left power list". New Statesman. 2023-05-17. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
  14. ^ "Professor Pat Cullen steps down from RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive role | News | Royal College of Nursing". The Royal College of Nursing. 2024-05-29. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  15. ^ "Nursing chief Pat Cullen to stand for Sinn Féin in UK election". BBC News. 2024-05-29. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
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