PROFESSOR Pat Cullen has stepped down from her position at the head of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in order to stand for Sinn Féin in the general election.
Ms Cullen is seeking the republican party’s nomination to stand as their candidate in the Westminster election for the Fermanagh & South Tyrone constituency.
She confirmed her resignation from her RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive role while announcing her election ambitions.
“I will be seeking the nomination to stand for Sinn Féin in Fermanagh & South Tyrone in the upcoming Westminster election,” she said.
“I have been in contact with my employers at the Royal College of Nursing to inform them that I have allowed my name to go forward to a selection convention being held in the constituency this week.”
She added: “It has been the honour of my life to have served in the RCN and to provide leadership every day to hundreds of thousands of hardworking nurses and healthcare staff who always prioritise the delivery of high-quality care to patients.
“After much consideration, I have decided that now is the right time for me to step forward in to the political arena to champion the issues and opportunities for the community I love, and that is what I am fully determined to do.”
The youngest of seven children, Ms Cullen grew up in Co. Tyrone.
The mother-of-two, who has one grandchild, qualified as a registered nurse in 1985 and worked in a range of community and clinical healthcare settings before becoming a director of nursing
She held roles including Director of Nursing at the Public Health Agency and advisor to the Department of Health, before joining the Royal College of Nursing in 2016.
She became the director of the College in Northern Ireland in 2019 before going on to become CEO and General Secretary of the organisation in 2021.
“Pat has been a tremendous leader for our profession and put the College on a journey to a brighter future,” Paul Vaughan, Chair of RCN Council, said following her announcement.
“She has been fearless in rooting out longstanding cultural issues internally and speaking truth to power in the health service and politics alike,” he added.